Personal research summary 2017

1. Summary of research interests and
capabilities: residual stresses, fracture and
structural integrity.
Dr Harry Coules
EPSRC Fellow & Lecturer in Structural Integrity
Solid Mechanics Research Group

2. My key research areas
• Structural mechanics
• Mechanics of materials
• Advanced manufacturing techniques
Main theme: Effects of residual and thermal
stresses on structural integrity.
Current research fellowship
“Advanced Structural Analysis for the UK
Nuclear Renaissance”

3. Effects of residual stress on elastic-plastic fracture
Some current projects
Multiaxial creep
stress relaxation
in 316H steel
Above: Modelling of creep stress relaxation.
Right: Measurement of creep-affected specimens.
Above: Synchrotron X-ray radiograph of a crack tip during ductile
tearing of ferritic pressure vessel steel.
Left: Neutron diffraction and digital image correlation measurement of
a 7000-series aluminium alloy specimen during fracture.

4. Some current projects
Pressurised thermal shock
in reactor pressure vessels
Integrity of Wire + Arc Additive
Manufactured structures
Left: Stress profile in a WAAM specimen
Far left: WAAM used to create a large metal structure
Right: Thermal shock in a simulated reactor
pressure vessel.
Interaction of neighbouring
defects in structures
Right: Interaction between a pair of co-
planar semi-elliptical defects.