The design of lightweight structures to mitigate against dynamic loads such as explosive blasts and impacts of projectiles has received widespread attention. The focus of our research has been on designing new materials including alloys for enhancing the dynamic performance of protection structures. Most dynamic loading events involve complex phenomena such as fluid-structure interactions and dynamic instabilities. An understanding of the mechanics of these phenomena provides insights into designs of new material architectures and systems for dynamic applications.

Our work includes laboratory-scale experiments and numerical calculations to uncover some critical phenomena involved in blast and ballistic loading. These include Richtmyer-Meshkov instabilities in the high velocity impact of granular media against structures and instabilities in composites with extreme anisotropy that enhance ballistic protection capability. This understanding has been used to design of architected materials and structures for enhanced dynamic performance.