Attias Ariel

Attias Ariel is a PhD candidate whose research is focused on designing resilient structures in urban environments that are better able to withstand natural disasters. With the support of a MathWorks Fellowship, he will develop a novel approach, assessing the resilience of urban structures by combining finite elements and statistical physics principles. This strategy characterizes fracture at the element level using spins, describing fracture in a statistical ensemble, effectively bridging the gap between brittle fracture theory and statistical physics. Through his research, which takes extensive use of MathWorks tools, Attias is providing solutions to several computational challenges associated with structural resilience, including fracture initiation, fracture branching, computational efficiency, and in-situ prediction of fracture propagation. His goals include creating a new framework for considering the fragility of structures and the analysis of their life cycle. Attias’s research could have a significant impact on design for the structures of tomorrow, ultimately improving the safety and sustainability of our communities.