On Wednesday, 22 January 2025, the Department of Civil Engineering hosted an insightful seminar titled "Modelling and Characterization of Dynamic Failure of Brittle Materials under High-Rate Loading" at PMB409. The event featured Professor Luming Shen from the University of Sydney, Australia, as the keynote speaker.

Professor Shen, a renowned expert in mechanics of materials and impact engineering, shared his latest research on the dynamic behaviors of brittle materials under high strain rate loading. His presentation highlighted innovative experimental techniques, including split Hopkinson pressure bar tests combined with micro-CT and digital image correlation, to study the failure of cementitious materials, porous media, and 3D-printed rock-like materials. He also introduced a new damage-plasticity constitutive model that considers confining pressure and high strain rate effects, offering valuable insights for safeguarding critical infrastructure and improving resource recovery processes.

The seminar attracted a diverse audience of academics, researchers, and students, fostering engaging discussions on the applications of these findings in disaster mitigation and sustainable engineering practices.