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Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2737-3883
Date Available
8-5-2027
Year of Publication
2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Masters in Aerospace Engineering
College
Engineering
Department/School/Program
Mechanical Engineering
Faculty
Xingsheng Sun
Jonathan Wenk
Abstract
Architected materials offer exceptional stiffness- and strength-to-weight performance, making them attractive for lightweight structural applications. However, predicting their mechanical response using conventional solid-element finite element analysis (FEA) is computationally expensive, limiting their use in early-stage design and large parameter studies. This work presents a computationally efficient framework combining bar-element finite element analysis with limit analysis (FEA-LA) to predict the elastic response, yield initiation, ultimate load, and collapse behavior of stretch-dominated lattice structures under quasi-static loading. The framework was verified against analytical solutions, compared with ANSYS solid-element simulations, and validated through uniaxial compression experiments on additively manufactured polymer octet-truss lattices. Calibration to experimental results enabled accurate prediction of stiffness, strength, and stress-strain behavior while reducing computational cost by approximately six to seven orders of magnitude compared with solid-element FEA. A parameter study investigated lattice-size effects on homogenized mechanical properties under uniaxial, biaxial, and triaxial compression, highlighting differences between load redistribution in the limit analysis formulation and the first-strut-yield criterion used in the finite element model. Finally, the FEA-LA framework was integrated with a Monte Carlo simulation to model manufacturing defects and reduce reliance on experimental calibration through uncertainty-based material parameters. The proposed framework provides an efficient tool for rapid mechanical characterization and design of stretch-dominated lattice materials.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2026.403
Archival?
Archival
1st Funding Information
NASA Kentucky Space Grant Consortium
Graduate Fellowship
80NSSC25M7090
2nd Funding Information
NASA Kentucky Space Grant Consortium
Research Experiences for Undergraduates
80NSSC20M0047
3rd Funding Information
University of Kentucky College of Engineering Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
College of Engineering Undergraduate Research Fellowship - Summer 2024
Recommended Citation
Stevenson, Lucas, "REDUCED-ORDER COMPUTATIONAL MODELING OF ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURED MECHANICAL METAMATERIALS" (2026). University of Kentucky Master's Theses. 660.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/gradschool_theses/660
