Research Interests
My research lies at the intersection of computational and continuum mechanics, with a particular focus on the constitutive modeling and numerical simulation of porous and ductile materials. I work on developing physically motivated, efficient models for predicting complex mechanical behavior such as void growth, damage localization, and ductile fracture in metals. A key aspect of my work involves gradient-enhanced and non-local plasticity formulations aimed at overcoming numerical challenges like mesh-dependence. I’m also interested in multiscale and multiphysics problems, including hydrogen-induced damage in structural materials, and the development of computational tools for designing damage-tolerant microstructures. My work combines theoretical modeling, numerical implementation (mainly in ABAQUS and Fortran), and validation through comparisons with experimental data.
Current Projects
Computational Modeling of Hydrogen Embrittlement in Steels.
My current research focuses on the computational modeling of hydrogen embrittlement (HE) in structural steels, a key concern for the safe deployment of hydrogen energy infrastructure. We are developing hydrogen-informed continuum damage models that incorporate the detrimental effects of hydrogen on mechanical performance. Central to our approach is the integration of transient trapping–detrapping kinetics, which allows us to simulate hydrogen diffusion and accumulation under evolving mechanical fields with improved accuracy. We are also building efficient computational tools capable of simulating the entire deformation process — up to the incipience of failure — under hydrogen exposure. To validate the predictive capabilities of our models, we perform comparisons with experimental data on medium to high strength steels. The ultimate goal is to integrate this numerical framework into fluid–structure interaction (FSI) simulations for robust assessment of hydrogen-assisted failure in pipeline steels.
Most recent publication on JMPS (2026): view
Student Mentoring
- [ST1] Kamoutsis, S. (2024-2026). “Plane strain tension of a single-edge notched specimen under hydrogen pressure and comparison with a small scale yielding formulation”. Diploma Thesis. University of Thessaly, Greece.
- [ST2] Alexandris, F. (2024-2025). “Bending of Thin-Walled Elastic Beams: Analytical & Numerical Solutions”. Diploma Thesis. University of Thessaly, Greece.
- [ST3] Giannoulas, K. (2024-2025). “A modified boundary layer formulation for the problem of Mode-I loading of the single-edge notched specimen in a hydrogen environment”. Diploma Thesis. University of Thessaly, Greece.
- [ST4] Naris, K., (2022-2023). “An isotropic elastic-plastic model with hydrogen effects: Application to the problem of Mode-I fracture of a blunting crack” Diploma Thesis. University of Thessaly, Greece.
- [ST5] Siomadis, I. (2021-2022). “Elastic Beam Analysis: Analytical and Numerical Solutions”. Diploma Thesis. University of Thessaly, Greece.
- [ST6] Giotas, A. (2020-2021). “Finite Element Analysis of the Automotive Crash Box Impact Test”. Diploma Thesis. University of Thessaly, Greece.
