Special Sessions
Virtual Testing and Advanced Digital Manufacturing of Aerospace Structures
This session aims to showcase the latest developments in the virtual testing and advanced manufacturing of aerospace structures and materials.
Contributions are welcome on innovative approaches—both numerical and experimental—that bridge the gap between design, simulation, and real-world manufacturing.
The goal is to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and promote cutting-edge research supporting next-generation aerospace composite systems through integrated virtual and physical testing strategies.
Marco Petrolo - Enrico Zappino - Walid Harizi - Nahiene Hamila
Advanced Numerical, Mesh-free and Analytical Solutions for Composites Structures and Multiphysics
This special session focuses on emerging numerical methods and analytical solutions that extend beyond traditional finite element approaches for the modelling and analysis of composite and multiphysics structures. Particular emphasis is placed on mesh-free techniques, exact dynamic stiffness methods, and closed-form or semi-analytical formulations capable of delivering high-fidelity predictions across wide frequency ranges and complex material or geometric configurations.
Alfonso Pagani - Xiang Liu - Sondipon Adhikari - Hauke Gravenkamp
Modern Topology Optimisation (TO) and Anisotropy Optimisation (AO) for Multi-scale, Multi-material Structures in Additive Manufacturing
This special session focuses on recent advances in topology optimisation (TO) and anisotropy optimisation (AO) for the concurrent design of structural layout, material symmetry and local orientation across macro- and micro-scales. Emphasis is placed on multi-material, composite and functionally graded systems tailored for Additive Manufacturing (AM), where performance and manufacturability must be addressed together.
Contributions are welcome on density-based, level-set and homogenization frameworks; compact anisotropy parameterizations (e.g., polar method, Tsai–Pagano and lamination parameters); AI-assisted exploration and uncertainty handling; and scalable multi-criteria constrained algorithms enabling robust, reliable and manufacturable designs. Real-world applications of optimised anisotropic AM structures are strongly encouraged.
Nicola Ferro - Gaetano Giunta - Marco Montemurro - Matteo Bruggi
Advanced Mechanics, Design and Optimization of Reinforced Panels and Architected Metastructures
This special session focuses on recent advances in the mechanics, modelling, design and optimization of reinforced panels and architected metastructures for high-performance engineering applications. Emphasis is placed on stiffened, curved and sandwich panels, lattice architectures, hierarchical and functionally graded systems, where lightweight design, stability, and multifunctionality must be addressed simultaneously across multiple scales.
Contributions are welcome on high-fidelity analytical and numerical formulations capable of capturing geometric nonlinearities, instability and post-buckling behaviour, damage and multiphysics couplings; multiscale and homogenization strategies; topology and reinforcement layout optimization; anisotropy tailoring; AI-assisted design exploration; and experimentally validated approaches. Applications in aerospace, space, automotive and advanced mechanical systems are strongly encouraged, particularly where structural efficiency, manufacturability and robustness are considered in an integrated design framework.
Riccardo Augello - Erasmo Carrera - Riccardo Vescovini
Advanced Mechanics at the Bio-Geo-Interface
This session explores the bio-geo-interface as a shared mechanical framework linking living tissues and Earth materials. Biomechanics and geomechanics both address deformation, failure, transport, and structural evolution in complex, often porous media, yet they have developed largely in parallel. Through contributions from both fields we expect to reveal common principles—such as fracture and damage mechanics, poro-mechanics, granular interactions, and hierarchical structuring—across biological and geological systems.
Topics may include, but are in no way limited to, analogies between root–soil reinforcement, fiber-reinforced geomaterials, reinforced concrete, and extracellular bone matrix as nanocomposite, between biomineralization and mineral cementation, or multiphase flow in tissues and soils. Experimental, theoretical, and computational studies that bridge scales—from microstructure to landscape—are particularly encouraged.
By fostering dialogue between biomechanics and geomechanics, this session aims to identify transferable methods, unified constitutive frameworks, and new research directions at the interface of life and Earth systems.
Christian Hellmich - Claire Morin
Mechanics of Lightweight Composite Sandwich Structures
Lightweight composite and sandwich structures are widely used in aerospace, marine, and automobile industries due to their high specific stiffness, strength and multifunctional designability. Common configurations include simple laminated, lattice materials, honeycomb materials and complex cellular materials, porous materials, metamaterials, hybrid sandwich structures, sandwich shell, self-locking structure etc. This session focuses on the mechanics of lightweight composite and sandwich structures studied by means of theory, simulation and experiment. Topics of interest include but are not limited to the design of ultra-light and high-strength composite and sandwich structures for static, stability, vibration, impact and energy absorption analyses. Along with conventional computational and experimental techniques, recent trends in machine learning-based simulations are also welcome in the deterministic and stochastic domains.
Jian Xiong - Tanmoy Mukhopadhyay
Design, durability, and mechanical behaviour of natural wood materials and associated composites
Today, sustainable development requirements and the need to protect our environment demand the use of higher-quality materials that respect our environment. In this context, so-called natural or local materials are well suited to this challenge. In light of this observation, this special session is dedicated to the thermo-hygro-mechanical behavior and durability of wood materials. We also combine design and wood-based composites, biodegradable and bio-based binders and adhesives in the broadest sense. The effects of the environment, time, and complex mechanical stresses such as creep, fatigue, dynamics, and rupture on these types of materials are investigated. The interactions between these materials and natural materials such as earth, clay, and related materials are also addressed in this symposium. The environmental impact of these materials and the analysis of their life cycle in all types of structures designed with these materials are also expected topics.
