Solid and Structural Mechanics

Description of the research group

Our expertise lies mainly in two research areas: soft active materials and phononic metamaterials. Regarding soft active materials, we study how mechanics and other fields (chemistry, physics, etc.) couple to achieve different types of actuation able to induce strains of stresses in soft materials, therefore subjected to strong nonlinear effects in their response. In the past, the main applications were in soft dielectric elastomers, both seen as homogeneous and composite materials.

The second area si that of phononic metamaterials that are designed to manipulate propagation of mechanical waves. The group developed the concept of canonical quasicrystalline metamaterials that are constructed by studying carefully the mathematica properties of the Fibonacci sequence.

Keyword 1: Metamaterials

Keyword 2: Soft active materials

Keyword 3: Materials for energy

Keyword 4: phononics

Keyword 5: Innovative structures

Head of the research group

Massimiliano Gei

List of members in the research group

Marco Rossi, Assegno di ricerca - ICAR/08

Research projects

- coPI PRIN 2022 Stability, multiaxial fatigue and fatigue life prediction in statics and dynamics of innovative structural and material coupled systems
- EPSRC Doctoral Technical Partnership, Electrostrictive soft materials , EPSRC UK
- Bioactuation in Soft Robotics, Royal Academy of Engineering UK