CA21155 - Advanced Composites under HIgh STRAin raTEs loading: a route to certification-by-analysis (HISTRATE)

Climate change challenges have driven an ever-increasing use of composite materials, including hybrid and metamaterials, in structures prone to extreme dynamic events. HISTRATE aims to lay the scientific and technological foundations for the creation and implementation of a robust framework for the certification-by-analysis of advanced composite structures subject to high strain rate loading, e.g., impact and blast. A paradigm shift in simulation comprehensiveness, high strain rate testing protocols and smart sensing tools is needed to replace the complex, laborious building block approach for validation and product certification with approaches based on simulations which require less tests. In this way, composition and performance adjustments should be allowed without recertification.    
Realisation of this aim heavily relies on knowledge available within the HISTRATE network, which now gathers 80 European and non-European, academic and industrial experts active in the wide field of composites. HISTRATE will strongly encourage interaction between the partners by stimulating the exchange and cross-fertilisation of knowledge both across industrial sectors and expertise fields, including material and component testing, measurement and monitoring techniques, modelling methodologies, standardisation and certification. By combining the available knowledge on high strain rate response at different length scales, i.e., from the material constituents to the structure, HISTRATE will radically transform the way we discover, develop, and design ultra-high-performance, durable, safe, sustainable, and novel advanced composites for use in real high strain rate loading applications. The participation of leading actors in the field provides the basis and impetus for the adaptation of this new approach in industry.