Department of Mechanics of Creep

History and development

The Department of Mechanics of Creep was formed on the basis of the Laboratory of Dynamic Strength, which was reorganized in 1966 into the Department of Dynamic Strength. In 1969 the department became the Department for the Study of Properties of New Materials, and in 1986 it was transformed into the Department of Mechanics of Creep.

Research profile

The department develops nonlinear three-dimensional theories of viscoelasticity, models of long-term fracture due to creep, damage accumulation models, and methods for predicting fatigue life under complex loading. A major part of the work is devoted to experimental verification of constitutive equations, fracture criteria, and durability prediction methods.

Main research areas

• Development of nonlinear three-dimensional viscoelasticity theory and methods for identifying heredity kernels of viscoelastic materials.
• Construction of models and criteria for long-term fracture of homogeneous and heterogeneous materials due to creep under uniaxial and complex stress states.
• Development of nonlinear damage accumulation models in isotropic and anisotropic materials under creep and fatigue.
• Methods for predicting fatigue characteristics of metallic and composite materials under uniaxial asymmetric and biaxial combined loading.
• Models of fatigue crack propagation in finite thin plates with stress concentrators.
• Durability analysis of plates with cracks under uniaxial and biaxial tension-compression.
• Experimental validation of constitutive equations of viscoelasticity, long-term fracture models and criteria, and methods for predicting the durability of structural elements under creep and fatigue.