News & Events
Department Events

Events

  • Mar
    8

    SPREE Seminar- Modeling Complex Material Behavior: From Discrete to Continuum to Data-Driven Mechanics- Jacinto Ulloa

    McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

    11:00 AM Room A230, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    Abstract: The complex behavior of dissipative solids remains a challenging subject in computational mechanics. Particularly intriguing are microstructural effects leading to highly non-linear behavior, irreversible processes, and material failure. Examples include shear bands in granular media driven by complex grain kinematics, damage and fracture in quasi-brittle materials governed by microcracks, and ductile failure in metals emerging from the interplay between dislocations and microvoids. In this context, the field of continuum solid mechanics has seen significant progress in the past half-century, with numerous constitutive models developed to address these problems. Nevertheless, most frameworks are either too simplified to accurately predict the intricacies of dissipative materials or too heuristic to be framed within a rigorous mathematical framework. Hence, this talk will explore energetic/variational formulations for coupled models that describe various complex failure processes while remaining mathematically sound and physically interpretable. Then, despite their scalability, it is argued that most (if not all) constitutive modeling approaches inevitably introduce uncertainty through phenomenological assumptions and tuning parameters. Hence, we pivot towards micromechanical platforms, such as molecular dynamics or DEM, to model granular media relying solely on physics-based grain-scale interactions. In particular, the use of discrete element methods with shape capabilities (LS-DEM) has made it possible to describe granular materials with unprecedented fidelity and to seamlessly capture complex emergent behaviors such as breakage mechanics, cyclic loading effects, and multiphysics processes. Finally, we argue that micromechanical models are predictive but not computationally scalable. Therefore, we embrace the recently developed concept of data-driven computing to exploit the capabilities of micro- and continuum mechanics in a unified computational platform. Scalability is ensured by remaining at the continuum scale and enforcing the fundamental laws of continuum mechanics. Predictiveness is ensured by relying on empirical data, obtained from experiments or high-fidelity simulations, to capture the generally unknown constitutive behavior. We will explore recent developments in data-driven mechanics that allow tackling challenging problems such as granular breakage or strain localization in the absence of phenomenological models. This framework further suggests a paradigm shift in computational mechanics for various complex problems with unique interdisciplinary synergies.

    Bio: I am currently a postdoctoral scholar at Caltech, supervised by José E. Andrade. Previously, I obtained my Ph.D. in 2022 from KU Leuven, Belgium, under the supervision of Stijn François and Geert Degrande. My research work has spanned various areas of computational mechanics, mainly involving the modeling of dissipative mechanisms in solid materials including plasticity, damage, fracture, fatigue, and multi-physics phenomena. My current work seeks to integrate the micromechanics of complex systems with continuum scale simulations, with emphasis on data-driven computing as a multi-scale computational paradigm.

    more

    TIME Friday, March 8, 2024 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    LOCATION Room A230, Technological Institute    map it

    ADD TO CALENDAR

    CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

  • Sep
    8

    Welcome & Breakfast for New McCormick PhD Students

    McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

    9:00 AM LR2 & Tech East Plaza, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Monday, September 8, 2025 at 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

    LOCATION LR2 & Tech East Plaza, Technological Institute    map it

    ADD TO CALENDAR

    CONTACT Andi Joppie    andi.joppie@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

  • Sep
    12

    New Undergraduate Fall 2025 Registration

    University Academic Calendar

    All Day

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Friday, September 12, 2025

    ADD TO CALENDAR

    CONTACT Office of the Registrar    nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR University Academic Calendar

  • Sep
    15

    Welcome & Luncheon for New Full-time Graduate Students

    McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

    11:00 AM Ryan Auditorium & Tech East Plaza, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Monday, September 15, 2025 at 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

    LOCATION Ryan Auditorium & Tech East Plaza, Technological Institute    map it

    ADD TO CALENDAR

    CONTACT Andi Joppie    andi.joppie@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

  • Sep
    16

    Fall Classes Begin. Change of Registration (Drop/Add) Late registration for returning students begins

    University Academic Calendar

    All Day

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Tuesday, September 16, 2025

    ADD TO CALENDAR

    CONTACT Office of the Registrar    nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR University Academic Calendar

  • Sep
    24

    SPREE Seminar

    McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

    11:00 AM A230, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Wednesday, September 24, 2025 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it

    ADD TO CALENDAR

    CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

  • Sep
    26

    EES Seminar

    McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

    2:00 PM A230, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Friday, September 26, 2025 at 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

    LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it

    ADD TO CALENDAR

    CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

  • Sep
    29

    AED-MPM Seminar

    McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

    11:00 AM A230, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Monday, September 29, 2025 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it

    ADD TO CALENDAR

    CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

  • Oct
    1

    SPREE Seminar

    McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

    11:00 AM A230, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Wednesday, October 1, 2025 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it

    ADD TO CALENDAR

    CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)