Contact

Civil Engineering Department, School of Engineering, University of Santiago.

Av. Ecuador 3659, Estación Central, Santiago, Chile

Tel: +(562) 27182803

erick.saavedra@usach.cl


 
 

Atomistic Finite Element Approach
The atomistic finite element approach establishes a linkage between structural and molecular mechanics at the atomic bond level, and provides a way to model the deformation of atomic systems by means of conventional finite element analyses using classical beam elements. This approach possesses a discrete representation which makes it particularly suitable for capturing local information from individual atoms and from interatomic forces, with the possibility of introducing
defects or inclusions in the atomic structure.

 

 

Recently, an hyperelastic finite element framework has been adopted to capture the mechanical response of atomic systems (such as ultimate tensile strains, buckling and post-buckling behaviour) in the context of large strains.

 

 

Some publications in this area:

  • Adhikari, S., Saavedra Flores, E.I.,Scarpa, F., Chowdhury, R. and Friswell, M.I., "An atomistic finite element approach for DNA structural mechanics ". Submitted for publication, 2013.
  • Saavedra Flores, E.I., Adhikari, S., Friswell, M.I. and Scarpa, F., "Hyperelastic axial buckling of single wall carbon nanotubes". Physica E: Low-dimensional Systems and Nanostructures . 44(2) 2011, pp. 525 - 529.
  • Saavedra Flores, E.I., Adhikari, S., Friswell, M.I. and Scarpa, F., "Hyperelastic finite element model for single wall carbon nanotubes in tension". Computational Materials Science, 50(3) 2011, pp. 1083-1087 .
  • Saavedra Flores, E.I.,  Adhikari, S., Friswell, M.I. and Scarpa, F., "Hyperelastic Modelling of Post-buckling Response in Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes under Axial Compression".  11th International Conference on the Mechanical Behaviour of Materials . June 5-9, 2011, Lake Como, Milano, Italy.