01 / Research overview

Research

Fatigue assessment, welded structures, additive manufacturing and component testing at the University of Pisa.

I study how materials and components respond to repeated loads, combining analytical models, finite element analysis and experiments. Explore the areas below, then follow the linked studies for technical detail.
FIG. R01Research overview
Research overview

Fatigue assessment

I study how repeated loading damages engineering components, especially when forces act in several directions. My work develops and compares critical plane methods that connect local stresses and strains to fatigue life. The aim is to make assessments of notched and welded components more practical and reproducible.

Methods Analytical and semi-analytical models; finite element post-processing; comparison with fatigue tests.

Further studies and technical context
FIG. R02 / Candidate-plane

Welded structures and residual stresses

Welding leaves stresses in a component even before it enters service. I investigate how these residual stresses interact with applied loads and affect fatigue life. My work combines simulations and measurements to study welded joints and to relate manufacturing conditions to their structural response.

Methods Thermal–structural finite element analysis; residual stress evaluation; experimental fatigue testing.

Further studies and technical context
FIG. R03 / Welded-joint geometry schematic

Additive manufacturing

I investigate the mechanical behaviour of additively manufactured structures and the thermal effects of manufacturing processes. My work includes representative structure elements for fatigue assessment and analytical descriptions of welding and metal additive manufacturing. These approaches connect process conditions, material behaviour and component-scale analysis.

Methods Analytical heat-flow models; finite element analysis; experimental characterisation.

Further studies and technical context
FIG. R04 / Layered structure schematic

Materials and component testing

I characterise how materials and joints respond to static and repeated loads, including changes in temperature. Applications include polymer composites, hybrid riveted joints, automotive components and printed circuit board assemblies. The work links laboratory measurements with computational models to understand structural behaviour in engineering applications.

Methods Static and fatigue tests; strain, vibration and temperature measurements; computational modelling.

Further studies and technical context
FIG. R05 / Axial specimen loading schematic

FIG. R02 Interactive figure

Where does the critical plane sit?

Each point of the sphere is a material plane, identified by its normal. The colour is the Findley damage parameter on that plane for combined axial and torsional loading. Change the shear-to-normal amplitude ratio and the phase shift, and watch the critical planes move.

Drag or use the arrow keys to rotate.

Maximum DP/σa
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Critical normal n*
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Hover on the sphere
Point at the sphere to read DP/σa
Computed with multifat (multiaxial-fatigue) at commit 5cd5124: evaluate_findley with MCC shear amplitude, one call per plane on a 3° grid, k = 0.3. Loading: σxx = σa sin ωt, τxy = λσa sin(ωt − Δφ), zero mean. Illustrative coefficient, not a material calibration. Data (JSON) · Generator script · multifat@5cd5124

Research projects

05 /FABER CA23109
Previous projects

Hybrid joints for lightweight vehicle structures

2025 · PRIN PNRR 2022

Project team member

Experimental characterisation, theoretical modelling and CAE simulation of joints between dissimilar metals.

Extrusion-based additive manufacturing

2022–2024 · PRA 2022 · University of Pisa

Project co-lead

Research on process optimisation for extrusion-based additive manufacturing of metal and ceramic components.

Structural integrity in automotive applications

2022–2025 · PON 2014–2020

Research contribution with Pierburg Pump Technology Italy / Rheinmetall

Research on polymer composites, elastomeric components and PCB assemblies, combining experimental assessment with computational modelling.

International collaborations

  • Czech Technical University in Prague (Czech Republic)

    Research visit within FABER WG6 · 2026-06

  • Aarhus University (Denmark)

    Circle U. mobility · 2026-01

  • NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Norway)

    Erasmus+ research mobility · 2024-07

  • Fraunhofer LBF, Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability (Darmstadt, Germany)
    • Master’s thesis activity · 2017-12–2018-05
    • Post-graduation employment contract · 2018-07–2018-09
    • Doctoral research period · 2021-02–2021-06

Research collaborations

For potential academic or industrial research collaborations, contact me.