Danny Van Hemelrijck

The research of Professor Danny Van Hemelrijck has a clear focus on the development, the mechanical characterization and on the design and analysis of innovative lightweight material systems and constructions. The mechanical performance of these material systems and constructions are studied under complex loading conditions by means of (combined) experimental testing and advanced numerical modeling. Concerning the development of new material systems, most attention is devoted to the study of multifunctional high performance fiber reinforced cement composites (HPFRCC). Another key research area concerns the experimental characterization of the thermomechanical behavior of fiber reinforced composite material systems with inorganic as well as organic matrix under static, dynamic and complex loading conditions (including environmental effects) using various non-destructive measuring techniques. The characterization can be performed on different scales: from micro to macro. With the increased importance of reliable design, durability analysis, life time prediction etc. reliable non-destructive testing techniques are unquestionably of major importance. Techniques and expertise available are: ultrasonic c-scan, acoustic emission, Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry (ESPI), optical video microscopy and forced diffusion thermography. Besides the experimental facilities, a large computing infrastructure is available offering the possibility to predict the behavior of materials and constructions under complex loading conditions.