Library · Simulation & modelling
What Structural Mechanics & Stress Modeling got wrong, from 35 theses
Summary written by a model from the records below: The records examine computational and analytical models across structural mechanics, highlighting errors in predicting stress, stiffness, and structural deformation. Failures typically arise from oversimplified geometric and kinematic assumptions, neglected boundary constraints, inadequate constitutive laws, and numerical discretization limitations. These records come from graduate theses, 2021 to 2026, each labeled with its degree where the repository states it, and each links to its thesis. They were extracted by language models reading the full text, so treat each as a lead to read, not a verdict.
Plus 6 problems the authors left open, listed at the end.
Failure modes, by theses reporting them
Select a mode to jump to its records.
Constitutive and cyclic plasticity formulations fail under complex multi-axial and dynamic loading
Plasticity and constitutive models failed when assuming purely elastic inclusions, isotropic degradation under complex stresses, or reversible elastic behavior during compaction. Furthermore, calibrating cyclic response solely on stiffness curves or omitting low-amplitude cycles resulted in incorrect damping predictions and distorted plastic strain accumulations.
Tried and failed
purely elastic inclusion models in composite plasticity applied to dislocation substructure deformation modeling. Outcome: did not generalise. Reason: failed to capture plastic deformation contributions within the cell walls of dislocation substructures
Crystal Plasticity Modeling of Heterogeneous Microstructure in Alloys · Georgia Tech · PhD
Tried and failed
deformation-based fatigue damage accumulation modeling applied to structural steel connections under arbitrary loading. Outcome: did not generalise. Reason: failed to accurately predict low-cycle fatigue under arbitrary histories outside cyclically increasing amplitudes
Parametric collapse evaluation of steel moment resisting frames with fuse connections · UT Austin · PhD
Considered and rejected
Considered and rejected: Rejected isotropic stiffness degradation under complex stress states without proper multi-axial fracture criteria handling.
Computational investigation of fracture in polymer composites and heterogeneous dry adhesives · Imperial · PhD
Tried and failed
diffusion-driven viscoplastic constitutive modelling applied to spatially resolved dislocation density prediction. Reason: model underestimated geometrically necessary dislocation density in outer deformation zones compared to experimental measurements
Investigation of microstructural evolution of aluminium alloy 7050 at hot forging conditions · Imperial · PhD
Tried and failed
omitting low-amplitude cycles after large-amplitude loading applied to cyclic soil-structure deformation modeling. Outcome: did not generalise. Reason: small cycles caused stress redistribution and accelerated subsequent accumulation rates instead of having negligible impact
A new Cyclic Overlay Model for the Design of Laterally Loaded Monopiles · Leibniz Universität Hannover · PhD
Tried and failed
calibrating cyclic nonlinear models solely on stiffness curves applied to dynamic soil-structure interaction modeling. Outcome: did not generalise. Reason: optimizing for stiffness degradation caused small-strain damping underestimation and large-strain damping overestimation
Numerical and field investigation of dynamic soil-structure interaction at full-scale · Imperial · PhD
Tried and failed
bounding surface plasticity with shear history threshold applied to soil liquefaction constitutive modeling. Outcome: worse than baseline. Reason: overly increased plastic stiffness and delayed excess pore pressure development in loose samples under monotonic loading
Seismic response of monopile foundations for offshore wind turbines in liquefiable deposits · Imperial · PhD
Considered and rejected
Considered and rejected: Rejected elastic soil models for compaction simulation because they create unrealistic deformation rebounds and internal forces upon load removal.
Soil Structure Interaction of High-Speed Trains Over Soil Metal Bridges · Dalhousie · Master's
Reduced-dimensional and simplified structural theories neglect three-dimensional and out-of-plane mechanics
Beam, shell, and 2D plane theories failed by neglecting essential behaviors such as out-of-plane lateral deformation, joint intersection mechanics, and shear deformations. These kinematic simplifications were unable to capture coupled translational-rotational modes, membrane wrinkling, or torsional stiffness loss in open sections.
Considered and rejected
Considered and rejected: Fiber-element formulation (used in SAFIR/OpenSees) rejected because it only accounts for axial normal stresses and cannot properly capture shear stresses and torsional stiffness degradation in thin-walled open sections.
Development and application of corotational finite elements for the analysis of steel structures in fire · University of Trento · PhD
Considered and rejected
Considered and rejected: Rejected standard 2D shell elements in FEM simulations because they fail to capture the realistic nearly-incompressible hyperelastic and visco-elastic deformation modes of rubbery photopolymer creases.
Design of Kresling inspired architected materials by using Polyjet technique · University of Trento · PhD
Tried and failed
beam finite element modelling applied to dense lattice microstructures. Reason: neglects joint intersection mechanics at high volume fractions, causing severe stiffness over-prediction
Multiscale structural optimisation with concurrent coupling between scales · Imperial · PhD
Tried and failed
corotational beam formulation applied to inflatable low-modulus thin-walled beams. Reason: overpredicts stiffness by ignoring membrane wrinkling and cross-sectional ovalling effects
Analysis, Design, and Experimentation of Beam-Like Structures · Virginia Tech · Doctorate
Considered and rejected
Considered and rejected: Rejected Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam theories due to inability to capture 3D coupled translational-rotational modes (axial/torsional) and large finite deformations without artificial elongation
Geometric Recursive Dynamic Modelling and Simulation of Soft Robotic Systems · Carleton University · Master's
Tried and failed
2D plane stress and strain finite element modelling applied to mechanical rolling deformation and stress. Reason: failed to capture 3D out-of-plane lateral deformation, mispredicting residual stress and plastic strain distributions
Efficient modelling and evaluation of rolling for mitigation of residual stress and distortion in wire arc additive manufacturing. · Cranfield · PhD
Oversimplified boundary conditions, pre-strains, and geometric details induce artificial stiffness and stress anomalies
Omitting physiological pre-strains, initial preload contact forces, or fillet geometry generated inaccurate stiffness representations and non-physical deformation patterns. Applying rigid boundary conditions or isolating substructures also triggered artificial stress singularities and failed to reproduce continuous load-rotation behavior.
Tried and failed
finite element modeling without physiological pre-strain applied to heart valve mechanical closure simulations. Reason: omitting initial pre-strain caused non-physiological deformation and failed to match in vivo strain distributions
Investigate mitral valve regurgitation following myocardial infarction using cardiac in-silico models · UT Austin · PhD
Tried and failed
linear static finite element analysis applied to truss structure deflection modeling. Outcome: worse than baseline. Reason: linear static models exhibited artificial stiffness leading to underestimated deflections under loading
Active Force Correction of Off-Nominal Structures Using Intelligent Scaffolding · Virginia Tech · Doctorate
Tried and failed
omitting fillet geometry in finite element models applied to cross-section torsional stiffness estimation. Outcome: worse than baseline. Reason: neglecting root fillets led to significant discrepancies between numerical and analytical torsional stiffness
Stability and design of steel angle section members · Imperial · PhD
Tried and failed
omitting secondary structural constraints from objective function applied to biomechanical PDE-constrained inversion. Outcome: worse than baseline. Reason: loss of displacement regularization severely degraded anatomical deformation accuracy
High-performance inversion algorithms for brain tumor growth models in personalized medicine · UT Austin · PhD
Tried and failed
component mode synthesis without preloaded contact forces applied to constrained non-linear structural dynamics. Outcome: worse than baseline. Reason: omitting static preload contact forces creates an inaccurate reduced stiffness matrix and inaccurate displacement predictions
Structural Dynamics Design of Steam Turbine Blades with Friction Contacts for Renewable Energy · Politecnico di Torino · PhD
Tried and failed
isolated substructure testing under boundary approximations applied to continuous slab-column structural response. Outcome: did not generalise. Reason: isolated boundary conditions failed to capture realistic system stiffness and continuous load-rotation behavior
Shear and steel-fibre reinforcement for the punching resistance of flat slabs at internal and edge columns · EPFL · PhD
Analytical and equivalent stiffness formulations overestimate stiffness and miscalculate dynamic frequencies
Equivalent frame, lumped element, and classical plate models systematically overestimated structural stiffness and resonant frequencies by neglecting mass perturbation or microstructural size effects. Applying direct component-level stiffness or deep-crack spring compliance formulas similarly produced severe discrepancies when compared to experimental or numerical dynamic responses.
Lost to a baseline
Equivalent Frame Analysis (EFA) required an artificially high modulus of elasticity (E=6450 MPa vs E=1800 MPa for shell elements) and failed to capture out-of-plane wall deformations.
Performance Assessment and Retrofit Strategies for Unreinforced Masonry Structures · York University · Master's
Lost to a baseline
Lumped Element Model (LEM) overestimates effective stiffness and resonant frequency compared to the Stiffness Matrix Method (SMM) due to perturbation approximations of mass loading.
STL NEMS fabrication, design, and inspection · Imperial · PhD
Considered and rejected
Considered and rejected: Long RVE models where load is applied directly to inclusions without matrix-mediated interphase transfer, rejected because they fail to represent realistic load transfer and overestimate stiffness.
Study on the Mechanical Properties of Carbon Nanotube Coated‒Fiber Multi-Scale (CCFM) Hybrid Composites · Politecnico di Torino · PhD
Tried and failed
direct component-level parameter measurement for macro-scale calibration applied to structural dynamic building models. Outcome: did not generalise. Reason: small-scale test stiffness systematically overestimates global stiffness and underestimates fundamental oscillation periods
Tried and failed
rotational spring compliance modeling of crack depth applied to dynamic response of damaged beam structures. Reason: stiffness leveled off at deep cracks instead of vanishing at full fracture, causing large frequency errors
Dynamic response of 3d-printed acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (abs) damaged structure under thermo-mechanical loads. · Cranfield · PhD
Lost to a baseline
Experimental elastic moduli underperformed classical laminate plate theory (CLPT) apparent stiffness predictions across all layups (e.g., 24.5% difference for consolidated UD-90°)
Development of a Self-Heating Consolidation Procedure for 3D-Printed Continuous Wire Polymer Composite Laminates · York University · Master's
Numerical discretization and discrete solver approximations produce local stress and displacement errors
First-order finite elements, boundary element formulations at high plastic strains, and simplified discrete spring frameworks exhibited substantial errors compared to higher-order or baseline solvers. In addition, static finite element simulations and discrete models failed near free surfaces or under time-varying loading conditions.
Tried and failed
static finite element analysis applied to time-varying vessel wall displacement. Outcome: worse than baseline. Reason: failed to capture time-varying evolution of deformation, under-predicting peak displacement
Computational haemodynamic analysis of thoracic endovascular aortic repair for complex aortic arch diseases · Imperial · PhD
Lost to a baseline
Proposed model stiffness prediction fell 15% below Particle Flow Code (PFC) DEM baseline on the 30-degree slit concrete specimen.
Fully coupled elasto-plastic computational framework for fluid pressurised crack evolution in porous media · Nottingham · Doctorate
Lost to a baseline
1st order FEA strain predictions had errors up to 12.6% compared to 2nd order FEA which reduced errors to within 7.2% across single-angle tensile and compressive tests.
Cross-frame stiffness modification factors for composite steel I-girder bridges · UT Austin · PhD
Lost to a baseline
Peri-CORE local stress predictions deviated by 15-20% from FE results near free surfaces in uniaxial tensile loading.
Peridynamics and finite element simulations of TRISO Fuel under extreme operating conditions · Imperial · PhD
Lost to a baseline
Framework model with variable spring stiffness yielded higher discrepancy for dowel forces against ABAQUS (78.6 kN vs 98.5 kN) than constant stiffness model (90.0 kN vs 98.5 kN) due to ABAQUS CDP damage treatment.
The load-bearing behaviour of the steel-concrete-steel composite (SCSC) plate · TU Wien · PhD
Analytical approximations and empirical scaling factors miscalculate structural capacity and failure strength
Analytical failure criteria and linear scaling models overpredicted tensile strength and failed to capture changes in flexural modulus or material processing effects. Similarly, empirical stiffness reduction factors and monotonic capacity formulations failed to generalize when applied to wide girder composite action or driven piles.
Lost to a baseline
GLS analytical model overestimated composite tensile failure strength by about 30% relative to experimental measurements
Process development of pre-impregnated hybrid thin-ply composites · EPFL · PhD
Tried and failed
applying empirical stiffness reduction factors across configurations applied to composite structural element stiffness modeling. Outcome: did not generalise. Reason: empirical factors calibrated for non-composite construction conditions failed under composite action with wide girder spacing
Cross-frame stiffness modification factors for composite steel I-girder bridges · UT Austin · PhD
Tried and failed
linear regression modeling of material property scaling applied to additive manufacturing infill flexural stiffness. Outcome: no signal. Reason: linear relationship between infill density and flexural modulus broke down after correcting second moment of area
Application of Co-Design Principles for Design of Series Elastic Joints · Virginia Tech · Doctorate
Lost to a baseline
HTMECH failed to capture minor increases in tensile strength due to extrusion temperature changes in multi-material PLA/PCL that were detected by uniaxial tensile testing.
Designing High Performing Durable Bio-Based Coatings for Packaging Applications · Georgia Tech · PhD
Lost to a baseline
CPT-based monotonic tensile capacity predictions significantly overestimated field measured capacities for small-diameter driven piles at Allen Harbor.
An investigation of factors affecting interface shear resistance between pipes and soils · UT Austin · PhD
Left open by the authors
Problems the authors named and did not get to.
Left open
Develop a 3D finite element model simulating bacterial cell deformation inside non-axisymmetric tapered microfluidic channels with corners. Blocker: Requires empirical cross-sectional geometry data and experimental deformation images from microfluidic extrusion experiments
DECIPHERING BACTERIAL CELL ENVELOPE MECHANICS AND MECHANOSENSING: A MECHANICAL ENGINEERING APPROACH · Cornell · PhD
Left open
Derive bending stiffness reduction factors across varied tunnel lining geometries, joint configurations, and depths using finite element modeling. Blocker: Requires the proprietary Imperial College Finite Element Program (ICFEP) codebase and the specific custom constitutive model implementations.
Development of advanced numerical models for grey cast iron tunnel linings · Imperial · PhD
Left open
Simulate droplet dimensionality and actin bending rigidity parameters in models of actin ring-to-rod droplet deformation transitions. Blocker: Lacks specific mathematical models, simulation targets, or precise parameter ranges to implement directly
Liquid-like condensates determine actin network organization · UT Austin · PhD
Left open
Investigate buckling load-displacement characteristics within the crash deformation framework. Blocker: Lacks specification of the exact crash deformation framework and finite element model parameters
High-Dimensional Generative Models for 3D Perception · Virginia Tech · Doctorate
Left open
Integrate stress analysis into the multi-objective genetic algorithm to constrain maximum tensile and shear stresses during TMD optimization. Blocker: Requires access to proprietary simulation software (MSC NASTRAN/MATLAB) and specific FEM model files from the thesis.
Dynamic Aeroelastic Response Attenuation of Aerospace Structures Employing Passive Tuned Mass Dampers · Carleton University · Master's
Left open
Extend and validate the Cyclic Strain Accumulation Method for modeling cyclic foundation deformation in cohesive soils. Blocker: None
A new numerical concept for the prediction of cyclic deformation accumulation of foundation structure in non-cohesive soil · Leibniz Universität Hannover · PhD
Who has worked on this
Authors of the public theses cited on this page, most-cited first.
- Kunqing Ding · Georgia Tech · PhD · 2026
Crystal Plasticity Modeling of Heterogeneous Microstructure in Alloys - Junnan Song · Leibniz Universität Hannover · PhD · 2026
A new Cyclic Overlay Model for the Design of Laterally Loaded Monopiles - ENIO COLONNA · Politecnico di Torino · PhD · 2026
Structural Dynamics Design of Steam Turbine Blades with Friction Contacts for Renewable Energy - Mathias Christian Haindl Carvallo · EPFL · PhD · 2026
Quantifying uncertainty and reliability of equivalent frame models for the seismic assessment of unreinforced masonry buildings - Isaac James Pressgrove · Virginia Tech · Doctorate · 2026
Application of Co-Design Principles for Design of Series Elastic Joints - Javaz Rolle · Georgia Tech · PhD · 2025
Designing High Performing Durable Bio-Based Coatings for Packaging Applications - Thomas John Barbuio · York University · Master's · 2025
Development of a Self-Heating Consolidation Procedure for 3D-Printed Continuous Wire Polymer Composite Laminates - Shuhan Cao · Leibniz Universität Hannover · PhD · 2025
A new numerical concept for the prediction of cyclic deformation accumulation of foundation structure in non-cohesive soil - Angelo Battistini · Imperial · PhD · 2024
Peridynamics and finite element simulations of TRISO Fuel under extreme operating conditions - Junsung Lee · Cornell · PhD · 2024
DECIPHERING BACTERIAL CELL ENVELOPE MECHANICS AND MECHANOSENSING: A MECHANICAL ENGINEERING APPROACH - Samantha Carolina Mora Hidalgo · University of Trento · PhD · 2024
Design of Kresling inspired architected materials by using Polyjet technique - Holly Kathleen Everson · Virginia Tech · Doctorate · 2024
Active Force Correction of Off-Nominal Structures Using Intelligent Scaffolding
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