AIAS2026 Ph.D. Summer Course

15 Jun 2026, 08:30 → 18 Jun 2026, 17:30 Europe/Rome

Polo Degli Adelardi (Ferrara)

Every year, AIAS organizes a summer school for Ph.D. students on a technical topic of prominent interest in the field of stress analysis and mechanical engineering design. This year's focus on "Advanced Experimental Multi-Scale Methods" addresses the critical challenge of characterizing and understanding material behavior across different length scales. From nanoscale phenomena to macroscopic structural response, multi-scale experimental approaches enable researchers to bridge the gap between microstructural features and engineering performance. By combining cutting-edge testing techniques—such as nanoindentation, digital image correlation, acoustic emission, and in-situ microscopy—with advanced data analysis and modeling strategies, this theme provides essential tools for materials development, damage assessment, and failure prediction in aerospace, energy, biomedical, and civil engineering applications. The integration of multi-scale experimental methods drives innovation in material design, structural integrity assessment, and the development of next-generation engineering systems.


NOTE: Registration must be completed with payment of fee before 31 May 2026. 

Monday 15 June

1 Registration and School Opening

L. Vergani, Politecnico di Milano
P. Livieri Università di Ferrara

2 Lecture 1 - Very-High-Cycle Fatigue of metallic materials: experimental methods and analysis - Prof. Dario Paolino, Politecnico di Torino

3 Lecture 2: A Multi-Scale Journey in Boine Experimental Testing - Prof. L. Cristofolini, University of Bologna

Tuesday 16 June

4 Lecture 3: Robust signal processing for temperature harmonic analysis - Prof. G. Pitarresi Università Di Palermo Prof. and L. Palumbo Università Di Palermo

10:30 Coffee break

5 Lecture 4: Advanced applications of thermal methods - Prof. U. Galietti Politecnico di Bari and Prof. R. De Finis Università del Salento

12:30 Lunch

6 Lecture 5: Multiscale characterization and modelling of short fibre reinforced composite materials - Prof. A. Bernasconi, Politecnico di Milano

15:30 Coffee break

7 Lecture 6: Nano-scale techniques for hierarchical material analysis - Prof. J. Schwiedrzik EMPA, Switzerland

Wednesday 17 June

8 Hands-on session: nano- scale techniques - Prof. J. Schwiedrzik EMPA, Switzerland

12:30 Lunch

9 Lecture 7: Entropy, Zentropy, and ZENN - Prof. Z.K.Liu Pennsylvania State University, USA

15:30 Coffee break

10 Hands-on session: Entropy, Zentropy, and ZENN - Prof. Z.K.Liu Pennsylvania State University, USA

Thursday 18 June

11 Lecture 8: A hierarchical view on material formation - Prof. D. Karpov ESRF , France

10:30 Coffee break

12 Lecture 9: Experimental Issues in High-Rate Elastoplasticity - Prof. G. Mirone Università di Catania

12:30 Lunch

13 Final test & PhD students panel presentations