Early Career Scientists 2025 (ECS 2025) Contributions to Applied Mechanics (3rd Edition)

A special issue of Applied Mechanics (ISSN 2673-3161).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2025 | Viewed by 742

Special Issue Editor


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Laboratory Soete, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Ghent University, Technologiepark Zwijnaarde 903, B-9052 Zwijnaarde, Belgium
Interests: computational mechanics; fracture mechanics; damage mechanics; finite element analysis; fatigue of materials; fretting fatigue; fretting wear; durability; dynamics and vibration of structures
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue entitled "Early Career Scientists 2025 (ECS 2025) Contributions to Applied Mechanics (3rd Edition)" follows on from the successful 2nd edition (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applmech/special_issues/B44X3072M6). This Special Issue of Applied Mechanics aims to provide an opportunity for early career scientists to share their valuable results with the scientific community. Manuscripts on all topics related to applied mechanics can be submitted. The subjects that can be addressed include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Mechanics of solids;
  • Static and dynamic of structures;
  • Materials engineering;
  • Mathematical modelling of structures and solids;
  • Computer methods in engineering;
  • Applications in civil engineering structures;
  • Mechanical and aerospace structures;
  • Fluid mechanics;
  • Thermodynamics of materials;
  • Biomechanics.

This Special Issue accepts manuscripts in the form of original research articles or reviews where the first author is an ECS (a student, a PhD candidate, or a post-doctoral researcher who received their PhD within the past 5 years).

We will provide additional discounts on the APC (article processing charge) upon request, as well as additional guidance on how to address reviewers’ comments, and the publication process will be as transparent and efficient as possible. The submissions will be assessed by at least two referees, as rigorously as any other paper submitted to Applied Mechanics.

Prof. Dr. Magd Abdel Wahab
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Mechanics is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • mechanics of materials
  • solid and structural mechanics
  • interface mechanics
  • marine engineering
  • civil engineering
  • mechanical and aerospace engineering
  • computational mechanics
  • stress analysis
  • fluid mechanics
  • vibration analysis
  • thermodynamics analysis
  • biomechanics

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 874 KiB  
Communication
An Analytical Approximation of the Stress Function for Conical Flywheels
by Miguel Garcia, Onofre Orozco-López, Jesús Uribe-Chavira and Andrés Blanco-Ortega
Appl. Mech. 2025, 6(2), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/applmech6020030 - 22 Apr 2025
Viewed by 168
Abstract
The current paper addresses the lack of explicit analytical solutions for stress evaluations in variable-thickness flywheels by proposing an approximate formulation for conical profiles, where thickness varies linearly along the radius. The main objective was to develop a compact and practical expression to [...] Read more.
The current paper addresses the lack of explicit analytical solutions for stress evaluations in variable-thickness flywheels by proposing an approximate formulation for conical profiles, where thickness varies linearly along the radius. The main objective was to develop a compact and practical expression to estimate radial and tangential stresses without relying on finite element analysis. Starting from a stress function, the model was simplified under the assumption of a small-thickness gradient, allowing the derivation of a closed-form solution. The resulting expression explicitly relates stresses to geometric and material parameters. To validate the approximation, stress distributions were computed for various outer-to-inner thickness ratios and compared with results obtained through FEA. The comparison, evaluated using the coefficient of determination, mean absolute percentage error, root mean squared error, normalized root mean squared error, and stress ratios, demonstrated strong agreement, especially for moderate-thickness ratios (1to/ti4.5). The method was more accurate for radial stress than tangential stress, particularly at higher gradients. The results confirmed that the proposed analytical approach provides a reliable and efficient alternative to numerical methods in the design and optimization of conical flywheels, offering practical value for early-stage engineering analysis and reducing reliance on time-intensive simulations. Full article
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21 pages, 21385 KiB  
Article
Experimental Study on the Use of Polyurethane Elastomers to Enhance Structural Performance of A36 Steel Sheets Under Near-Field Detonation
by Anselmo S. Augusto, Girum Urgessa, José A. F. F. Rocco, Fausto B. Mendonça and Koshun Iha
Appl. Mech. 2025, 6(2), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/applmech6020028 - 15 Apr 2025
Viewed by 324
Abstract
In recent years, a series of studies have examined the effects of blast loads on structures and proposed new materials to enhance or retrofit the resistance of conventional materials, such as steel or concrete. Polymeric materials, including foams and elastomers, play a significant [...] Read more.
In recent years, a series of studies have examined the effects of blast loads on structures and proposed new materials to enhance or retrofit the resistance of conventional materials, such as steel or concrete. Polymeric materials, including foams and elastomers, play a significant role in this field due to their low density and favorable mechanical properties under dynamic loads. This study investigates the use of polyurethane elastomer to improve the mechanical properties of 2 mm A36 steel sheets. The efficiency of this material in steel structures has not yet been studied in the scientific literature through blast tests. A total of 18 near-field blast tests were conducted at standoff distances of 300 mm and 500 mm. The explosive charges consisted of 334 g of bare Composition B in a spherical shape. The steel sheets were fixed to rigid supports and exposed to the blast either bare or covered with different layers of commercial Shore A 60 or 90 polyurethane elastomer, with thicknesses varying from 2 to 6 mm. The maximum displacement of the steel sheets was measured using a high-speed camera and the results were compared. The elastomer retrofitted sheets exhibited a reduction in maximum displacement ranging from 5% to 20% when compared to the sheet without the elastomer. Full article
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