Usman Ali, our DC1 from KU Leuven, is completing his 4.5-month-long secondment at the Department of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford, under the supervision of Prof. Barbara Rossi. He is working in the Sustainable Metal Structures Laboratory, where Prof. Rossi’s research group focuses on testing metal structural components under various types of loading.

During his stay, Usman is preparing and testing stainless steel and hybrid structural components, along with conducting supplementary tests, including material and geometric characterization. The hybrid stainless steel structural components represent the first-of-its-kind experimental database, completed by DC1 and her research team under the supervision of Prof. Rossi.

The secondment mainly involves setting up the testing equipment, performing detailed material characterization, followed by geometric measurements using a CNC machine, which is a low-cost solution adopted by DC1, alongside the sample preparation for Digital Image Correlation (DIC). Subsequently buckling response of the structural members, which is one of the critical failure types, is studied. The results will be thoroughly analysed to develop buckling curves and assess existing design criteria.

In parallel, these experimental results are supported by numerical simulation models and are also extended for parametric assessment to evaluate the applicability of current codified design methods. Based on his results, new design methods will be developed to better suit and predict the structural behaviour of these components.

Stay tuned for the research outcomes and findings in the coming months.