Advanced Materials for enhanced impact and fire resistance: Numerical and experimental investigations

Extreme events such as fire, impact, and explosions present serious risks to structural systems across multiple sectors, including aerospace, offshore platforms, residential infrastructure, and strategic installations like satellite launch stations. These hazards can result in catastrophic structural failures, human casualties, and disruption of essential operations. Particularly in open-sea environments and high-energy systems such as rocket launch pads and offshore drilling units, exposure to hydrocarbon fires, extreme thermal flux, and mechanical shock requires materials that offer exceptional resistance and resilience.

The proposed research aims to develop next-generation Functionally Graded Materials (FGMs) as an innovative solution to enhance structural performance under extreme conditions. FGMs are engineered materials characterised by a gradual and continuous variation in composition and microstructure, leading to a smooth transition in mechanical and thermal properties across their volume. Unlike conventional composites or alloys, FGMs eliminate abrupt interfaces that typically act as stress concentrators, thereby improving fracture resistance, thermal tolerance, and energy absorption during impact or fire exposure.

This investigation will combine numerical simulations and experimental validation to analyse the behaviour of FGMs under high-strain-rate impacts and elevated temperatures. The research will involve advanced modelling techniques such as finite element analysis (FEA), coupled thermal-structural simulations, and impact dynamics modelling to understand the response of these materials to realistic loading scenarios. Experimentally, material samples will be subjected to controlled fire and impact tests to validate numerical models and assess performance metrics like thermal degradation, stress redistribution, and failure patterns.

The outcomes of this research will contribute significantly to the design of safer, more resilient structural systems in high-risk environments. FGMs offer the potential to revolutionise material applications in critical fields such as aerospace, offshore engineering, defence infrastructure, and fire-safe buildings. Their adaptability allows for tailored property distribution, enabling materials to be customised based on specific loading profiles or threat scenarios.

The interdisciplinary nature of this work bridges domains including structural engineering, material science, offshore safety, risk assessment, and thermal-mechanical analysis. By addressing key challenges in impact resistance and fire protection, this research supports global efforts to enhance infrastructure safety and reliability in the face of increasing environmental and operational uncertainties.