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Research Projects

Full-field damage monitoring frameworks for composite laminates — combining DIC, Acoustic Emission, and Smoothing Element Analysis.

Research Focus

Experimental Damage Mechanics of Composite Laminates

My research develops model-free, full-field experimental methodologies that combine multiple sensing modalities to characterize and monitor damage in fiber-reinforced composite laminates. The core philosophy: extract damage indicators directly from experimental measurements, without relying on finite element models or constitutive damage laws.

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Digital Image Correlation

Full-field surface displacement and strain mapping with sub-pixel accuracy for crack localization

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Acoustic Emission

Real-time detection and temporal classification of damage-related stress wave events

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Smoothing Element Analysis

Noise-robust gradient evaluation enabling sharp localization index computation from DIC fields

Strain Gauge

High-precision local mechanical strain measurement for point-wise deformation tracking and load analysis

01
Composite Structures · Elsevier · IF ≈ 6.3
Under Review — Submitted May 2026

Full-field crack propagation monitoring in composite laminates using digital image correlation and smoothing element analysis

DIC Smoothing Element Analysis Gradient-Enhanced Localization Composite Laminates Full-field Strain

This study introduces an original dual-stage SEA-assisted DIC framework for full-field crack propagation monitoring in cracked composite laminates. The novelty lies in applying Smoothing Element Analysis at two distinct DIC post-processing stages: displacement regularization before strain reconstruction, and equivalent-strain smoothing before gradient evaluation.

Key Contributions

  • Dual-stage SEA integration at both displacement regularization and strain smoothing stages
  • Normalized gradient-enhanced localization index developed from experimental full-field measurements
  • Completely model-free — no finite element damage simulations or constitutive damage laws required
  • Validated on 7 different composite laminate configurations with varying stacking sequences
  • Advancing full-field damage localization capability in composite structures
Key novelties: SEA is applied at two distinct stages of the DIC processing pipeline — first at the displacement field level to suppress noise before strain computation, and again at the equivalent-strain level before gradient evaluation. This dual-stage approach yields sharper localization than single-pass methods. The resulting normalized gradient-enhanced localization index is derived entirely from smoothed full-field DIC data, with no need for FEM-based regularization, constitutive damage laws, or prior knowledge of material behavior — making it directly applicable to any composite architecture.
Under Review PDF on Request Request Manuscript
02
Int. Journal of Damage Mechanics · SAGE · IF ≈ 4.2
Under Review — Submitted June 2026

Integrated multi-instrument analysis for damage characterization and crack propagation monitoring in pre-cracked composite laminates

DIC Acoustic Emission Strain Gauge FBG Sensors Stage-wise Analysis Cluster Analysis

This study introduces an integrated experimental framework for damage characterization and crack propagation monitoring in pre-cracked composite laminates by combining DIC, Acoustic Emission, and strain gauge measurements. Rather than relying on a single measurement output, the framework evaluates spatial, temporal, and local mechanical evidence together through a stage-wise interpretation strategy.

Key Contributions

  • Full-field strain localization (DIC), time-dependent AE activity, and local strain response correlated simultaneously
  • Cluster-wise acoustic energy evolution analyzed within stage-wise interpretation strategy
  • Distinguishes progressive crack growth, delayed high-energy propagation, and abrupt fracture-dominated transitions
  • Assessed on 7 cracked laminate configurations with different stacking sequences and crack orientations
  • Advancing multi-instrument damage interpretation in composite laminates
Key novelties: (1) Four complementary sensing modalities — DIC (full-field spatial), Acoustic Emission (temporal event-based), strain gauge (local mechanical), and FBG sensors (distributed strain) — are fused into a single coherent framework; (2) a stage-wise interpretation strategy systematically correlates spatial, temporal, and local evidence rather than analyzing each instrument independently; (3) the framework identifies three distinct fracture transition regimes — progressive crack growth, delayed high-energy propagation, and abrupt fracture-dominated failure — that no single instrument can distinguish alone.
Under Review PDF on Request Request Manuscript
Future Directions

PhD Research Interests

🔭 Experimental Mechanics

Full-field measurement techniques (DIC, AE, strain gauge) for characterizing deformation, damage initiation, and fracture in composite and structural materials under complex loading conditions.

💻 Computational Mechanics

Numerical methods including Smoothing Element Analysis (SEA) and finite element-based approaches for strain field regularization, gradient evaluation, and damage localization in heterogeneous materials.

🔬 Advanced SHM Methodologies

Extending multi-instrument monitoring frameworks to complex loading states, fatigue damage, and environmental conditions in aerospace-grade composites.

🤖 Data-driven Damage Detection

Integrating machine learning with DIC and AE data streams for automated, real-time damage classification and remaining useful life prediction.

🌊 Multi-scale Fracture Analysis

Bridging full-field macro-scale measurements with micro-scale fracture events using CT scanning and correlative microscopy techniques.

⚡ Digital Twin Frameworks

Developing physics-informed digital twin models that assimilate experimental sensor data to predict damage evolution in structural components.