Learning from Nature's Failures: Mimicking Hierarchy in Natural Structures to Create Damage-Tolerant Lattice Materials

To create a more sustainable future for aviation, new, lighter-weight structures and materials will need to be engineered. It will also be critical that damage tolerance and safety are not compromised in the process. Lattice materials represents one avenue of exploration; however, two key challenges arise: limited experimental work has been...

The effect of nodal topology on cellular solid mechanics: A preliminary diagnostic experimental investigation

Additive manufacturing allows material structuring, supporting the fabrication of multiple-level structures or metamaterials. Through the lens of classical stress reduction, nature’s cellular solid structures feature stress-homogenizing nodal topologies. Avian long bones are an example. Research into the mechanics of open cell cellular solids...