ICONIC addressed five primary technical objectives related to the advancement of the state-of-the-art in enhancing the crashworthiness of future lightweight non-metallic transportation structures. The first objective was to develop new composite materials with architectures and constituents appropriate for their design function, whilst delivering superior energy absorbing capability.
For large load-bearing structures, new 3D woven fibre-based preforms were manufactured and shown to have good energy absorbing capacity. Polymers enhanced with graphene oxide nanoparticles, self-reinforced composites, where the reinforcement and the matrix are made of the same material, but with distinct molecular structures, where also developed and their energy absorption characteristics assessed. A thin-ply laminate made from discontinuous tape-based composites hot-pressed with a thermoplastic binder was developed and shown to have good energy absorbing capability.
The means to reliably assess and evaluate these materials for crashworthy structures formed the basis of the second objective. New testing methods were developed to assess the materials’ behaviour under different strain-rates. One approach was based on a dynamic tensile testing machine while another made use of a Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar.
An ability to simulate the complex response of these materials in a crash scenario permits analysts and structural engineers to exploit them in their structural designs without the need of extensive and expensive physical testing. This pursuit formed the third objective. New multiscale modelling methodologies were developed which accounted for intrinsic stochastic variations in the materials. Their behaviour under different loading rates was also captured. A new formulation which is an order of magnitude faster than the finite element method was also extended to capture the response of composites to high impact loading.
The fourth objective concerned the design of energy absorbing structural joints. Previous work had shown that joints in aircraft structures may act as energy absorbers. One project developed a new tension-loaded energy-absorbing joint for a fuselage while another developed a new composite-metallic interlocking joint.
A fifth objective focused on delivering technologies for immediate utilisation by industry partners. One project delivered a new methodology for modelling automotive structural components specifically designed to protect passengers in a crash. Another project used the ‘building block’ approach used in the certification of composite aerostructures, and adapted it for composite automotive structures.
In addition to these technical objectives, each early stage researcher (ESR) was engaged in an individually-tailored training and secondment programme which combined aspects of technical and transferable skills development. Moreover, each researcher was also enrolled on a PhD programme and a number have since graduated.
All ESRs were particularly active in the dissemination of results and associated activities, promoting ICONIC and the EU Horizon 2020 MSCA programme through websites, magazines, newspapers, TV, MSCA events, social media, visiting schools and universities. An ICONIC outreach pack (including two videos) was prepared for distribution and exhibition at conferences, trade fairs, workshops and meetings. A number of journal papers and conference contributions were published.
No gender-related barriers were encountered, in the recruitment, management, training and research programme. Gender equality was promoted in the job advertisements for all ICONIC ESR positions, with female candidates being prioritised when candidates had ex aequo qualifications.
