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Functional Structural Mechanics Lab
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The lab studies how to see inside materials with ultrasound and designs structures that control waves.
AboutAbout the lab
Understanding materials and structures from how waves travel.
The Functional Structural Mechanics Lab studies solids with complex internal structures, such as advanced composite materials and metamaterials, as well as structures with complex shapes.
The lab clarifies their dynamic, nonlinear mechanical behavior and how elastic waves propagate through them.
Using theory, numerical analysis, and experiments, the lab aims to build the fundamental science underlying high-performance structural systems in a wide range of fields, including aerospace engineering.
Key terms
- Elastic wave
- A vibrational wave that travels through a solid. Ultrasound is one example.
- Nondestructive evaluation
- Examining the internal flaws and properties of a material or structure without destroying it.
- Phononic crystal
- An artificial structure with a periodic internal structure that controls how waves propagate, for example by blocking vibration waves of specific frequencies.
ResearchResearch themes
The lab investigates ultrasound propagating through composite materials and thin structures for application to nondestructive evaluation, and also studies artificial structures that control elastic waves and cracks moving at high speed through solids, using theory, numerical analysis, and experiments.
*Illustrative imageUltrasound Traveling Through Composite Materials
In materials such as the carbon-fiber-reinforced composites used in aircraft, the lab clarifies how ultrasound propagates through complex internal structures and laminate configurations. The aim is to advance techniques that use ultrasound to nondestructively evaluate material properties and small defects.
*Illustrative imageFinding Damage with Waves in Thin Structures
In thinned structures, elastic wave propagation becomes very complicated. Focusing also on the nonlinear components contained in the signals, the lab clarifies how waves propagate in thin structures and applies this to evaluating structural integrity.
*Illustrative imageArtificial Structures That Control Elastic Waves
In artificial structures such as phononic crystals and metamaterials, which have internal structures on the scale of the wavelength, the lab investigates features such as blocking elastic waves, bending them in the negative direction, and focusing them, using theory and numerical analysis.
*Illustrative imageHow Fast-Moving Cracks Advance
To understand high-speed fracture caused by bird strikes on aircraft and space debris impacts on spacecraft, the lab investigates the mechanism of cracks propagating at speeds close to the speed of sound, using numerical analysis with the phase-field method.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Functional Structural Mechanics Lab consist of faculty, doctoral students, master's students, and undergraduates (FY2026).
- ProfessorShiro Biwa
- Assistant ProfessorYosuke Ishii
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Ultrasonic pipeline test” w:en:User:Davidmack / Public domain (cropped)
- Ultrasound Traveling Through Composite Materials: “Carbon fiber roving” Acheolg / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Finding Damage with Waves in Thin Structures: “Lamb wave schematic” Michael Schmid / CC BY 2.5 (cropped)
- Artificial Structures That Control Elastic Waves: “High aspect ratio suspended photonic crystal membrane lightsail material” Authors of the study: Lucas Norder, Shunyu Yin, Matthijs H. J. de Jong, Francesco Stallone, Hande Aydogmus, Paolo M. Sberna, Miguel A. Bessa & Richard A. Norte / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- How Fast-Moving Cracks Advance: “CRACK IN BOTTLE - FRACTURE STUDY OF GLASS - NARA - 17444881” Martin Brown / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Adaptive Materials Mechanics Lab): “Woven carbon fiber fabric” Acheolg / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Aerospace Dynamics Lab): “Common mime (Papilio clytia) form dissimilis in flight Luang Prabang” Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Thermophysical Engineering Lab): “3D Turbulence Infinitesimal Fluid Element Stretching Orientation Map” Terry Brannigan / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Precision Measurement and Machining Lab): “Cell CNC faipari megmunkálóközpont” Horvathb.mautom / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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