This research focuses on the development of predictive computational models of materials and structures in extreme environments (e.g., undersea blast) undergoing large deformations with fracture and fragmentation in response to the loading generated in such environments. The research is motivated by the scarcity of well-established methods and commercial and laboratory codes that can accurately and robustly handle:

• Coupled multi-physics environments, such as those involving tightly coupled fluid-structure interaction (FSI).
• Structural response involving extreme inelastic deformations, contact-impact, and failure and fragmentation.

The work focuses on a variety of materials and structural systems (metals, fiber-reinforced polymer composites, gels, etc.) with a goal to better understand and design materials and structures for extreme-event mitigation focusing on undersea applications. The research leverages and innovates in the recent developments in computational mechanics that go beyond traditional finite-element methods and brings the elements of data-driven modeling to accelerate model predictions and improve design.