The Structures Track welcomes theoretical, computational, and experimental contributions addressing the design, analysis, manufacturing, testing, and performance of aerospace structures and their components. The Track covers structural mechanics and optimization, adaptive and multifunctional structures, metamaterials, composite structures, structural stability and nonlinear behavior, impact, fatigue, damage, and fracture, and experimental mechanics of aerospace structures. Interest is given to advanced manufacturing, multiscale modeling, structural health monitoring and nondestructive evaluation, spacecraft and deployable structures, peridynamics, and structures operating in extreme environments. Verification, validation, uncertainty quantification, and advanced testing methods for structural analysis and design are also encouraged. Artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches are greatly welcome across these areas, including structural response and failure prediction, design optimization, intelligent manufacturing, damage detection, and digital twins. Emerging contributions involving agentic AI, foundation models, and physics-informed AI for structural analysis and design are especially encouraged. The Track also welcomes AI approaches emphasizing explainability, robustness, uncertainty quantification, experimental validation, and traceable evidence to support aerospace structural safety and certification. Contributions may address fundamental methodologies as well as applications to conventional and emerging aerospace configurations and related areas such as wind energy. Authors should submit their abstracts to the topic that best describes their research or to “General Topics of Aerospace Structures” if no specific topic is suitable.
Topics
- General Topics of Aerospace Structures
Keywords: aerospace structural design and analysis, structural mechanics, lightweight structures, structural stability and buckling, experimental mechanics, structural optimization, advanced computational methods, innovative structural concepts, AI/ML-based structural modeling and design.
Organizers: TBD - Machine Learning-assisted Modeling and Analysis for Aerospace Structures
Keywords: surrogate modeling, data-driven structural modeling, physics-informed machine learning, reduced-order modeling, multiscale and multi-fidelity modeling, inverse problems, structural optimization, damage and failure prediction, manufacturing process modeling, digital twins.
Organizers: TBD - Emerging and Trustworthy AI Technologies for Aerospace Structures
Keywords: agentic AI, foundation models, large language models, physics AI, neural operators, automated simulation workflows, tool-augmented reasoning, autonomous design exploration, explainable AI, physics-consistent AI models, robustness and generalization, AI-supported certification by analysis.
Organizers: TBD - Multifunctional and Adaptive Structures
Keywords: morphing aerospace structures, smart materials and actuators, shape adaptation, bistable and multistable structures, structural sensing and actuation, load-bearing energy storage, multifunctional composites, programmable structures, integrated structural design, AI/ML-enabled adaptive structures.
Organizers: TBD - Advanced Manufacturing Approaches for Aerospace Structures
Keywords: automated fiber placement, additive manufacturing, robotic manufacturing, thermoplastic composites, out-of-autoclave processing, joining and assembly, process modeling, manufacturing defects, in-situ process monitoring, process-structure-performance relationships, AI/ML-based process optimization, machine vision for defect detection, manufacturing digital twins, data-driven structural quality prediction.
Organizers: TBD - Impact, Fatigue, Damage and Fracture
Keywords: Impact and crashworthiness, fatigue and durability, fatigue life prediction, progressive damage, damage tolerance, fracture mechanics, delamination and intralaminar fracture, residual strength, multiscale failure modeling, fracture and fatigue testing, composite damage repair.
Organizers: TBD - Nonlinearities in Aerospace Structures
Keywords: geometric and material nonlinearities, buckling and postbuckling, large deformation, structural instability, imperfection sensitivity, contact and friction, nonlinear finite element methods, path-following methods, nonlinear reduced-order models.
Organizers: TBD - Structural Health Monitoring and Nondestructive Evaluation
Keywords: Structural health monitoring, nondestructive evaluation and inspection, ultrasonic inspection, guided waves, acoustic emission, thermography, fiber-optic sensing, embedded and wireless sensors, damage detection and localization, structural condition assessment, sensor fusion, data-driven and AI/ML-assisted diagnostics and prognostics, digital twins for structural health monitoring.
Organizers: TBD - Peridynamics
Keywords: nonlocal continuum mechanics, bond-based and state-based peridynamics, crack initiation and propagation, composite damage, impact and fragmentation, fatigue fracture, multiphysics coupling, local–nonlocal coupling, computational efficiency, experimental validation.
Organizers: TBD - Structures in Extreme Environments
Keywords: thermomechanical loading, hypersonic structures, thermal protection systems, cryogenic structures, high-temperature composites, oxidation and ablation, radiation effects, environmental degradation, extreme pressure, durability under combined environments.
Organizers: TBD - Wind Energy
Keywords: innovative wing energy concept, wind turbine blade structures, composite blade design, structural optimization, aeroelastic tailoring, buckling and fatigue, manufacturing, adhesive joints, structural health monitoring, damage and repair, recyclable composite structures.
Organizers: TBD - Spacecraft Structures
Keywords: lightweight spacecraft structures, deployable and inflatable structures, origami-inspired structures, composite shells and panels, structural joints and mechanisms, dimensional stability, launch-load qualification, space habitats, in-space manufacturing and assembly.
Organizers: TBD - Design Optimization of Aerospace Applications
Keywords: multidisciplinary design optimization, structural sizing and topology optimization, aerostructural optimization, systems engineering, mission-driven design, manufacturing constraints, reliability-based design, multifidelity optimization, lifecycle performance, system-level trade studies, AI-accelerated design optimization.
Organizers: TBD - Verification, Validation and Uncertainty Quantification for Aerospace Structures
Keywords: verification and validation, uncertainty quantification, model calibration, sensitivity analysis, uncertainty propagation, experimental design, full-field measurements, virtual testing, multifidelity validation, test-analysis correlation, AI-assisted model calibration, machine learning surrogates for uncertainty quantification, active learning for test planning, AI-guided adaptive testing, multifidelity data fusion, validation of AI-based structural models.
Organizers: TBD - Thin-walled and Lightweight Structures
Keywords: Beams and frames, plates and shells, thin-walled members, stiffened and unstiffened panels, sandwich structures, lightweight structural concepts, structural stability and buckling, postbuckling behavior, nonlinear structural response, imperfection sensitivity, structural optimization and lightweight design.
Organizers: TBD - Experimental Mechanics
Keywords: digital image correlation (DIC), full-field deformation and strain measurement, low- and high-velocity impact testing, high-speed imaging, multiaxial testing, buckling and postbuckling experiments, fatigue and fracture testing, thermomechanical testing, in-situ damage characterization, experimental validation of structural models, AI-assisted experimental data analysis.
Organizers: TBD
The Structural Dynamics Track welcomes theoretical, computational, and experimental contributions addressing the dynamic behavior of aircraft, rotorcraft, spacecraft, and their components. The Track covers structural dynamics and aeroelasticity, including flutter and aeroelastic stability, gust response, nonlinear dynamics, vibration, dynamic loads, structural response and control, and the interaction of flexible structures with aerodynamic, acoustic, control, and propulsion systems.
Particular interest is given to advanced computational methods and reduced-order modeling, experimental structural dynamics and system identification, structural health monitoring and damage detection, flexible multibody dynamics, space and deployable structures, and the structural dynamics and aeroelasticity of propulsion systems. Emerging approaches based on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data-driven methods for prediction, modeling, damage detection, model reduction, and scientific computing are also encouraged.
Contributions may address fundamental methodologies as well as applications to conventional and emerging aerospace configurations. Authors should submit their abstracts to the topic that best describes their research.
Topics
- Dynamics and Aeroelasticity of Aircraft, Rotorcraft and Spacecraft
Keywords: flutter, gust response, aeroelastic stability, distributed propulsion, unconventional configurations, morphing structures, aeroelastic optimization, load alleviation, aeroservoelasticity.
Organizers: TBD - Computational methods for Structural Dynamics and Aeroelasticity
Keywords: reduced-order models, nonlinear structural dynamics, model reduction, time- and frequency-domain methods, numerical methods, model updating, uncertainty quantification, high-performance computing, AI/ML-assisted computing.
Organizers: TBD - Artificial Intelligence and Data-Driven Methods for Structural Dynamics and Aeroelasticity
Keywords: machine learning, physics-informed machine learning, data-driven modeling, surrogate models, neural operators, AI-based reduced-order modeling, system identification, digital twins, flutter and stability prediction, damage detection, uncertainty quantification, generative AI and LLM-assisted scientific computing.
Organizers: TBD - Experimental Structural Dynamics and Aeroelasticity
Keywords: modal testing, ground vibration testing, wind-tunnel testing, flight testing, operational modal analysis, system identification, dynamic response measurements.
Organizers: TBD - Structural Health Monitoring and Damage Detection
Keywords: vibration-based methods, wave propagation, structural identification, damage localization, nondestructive evaluation, guided waves, digital twins, AI/ML-based damage detection.
Organizers: TBD - Dynamic Loads, Structural Response and Control
Keywords: gust loads, buffet, unsteady aerodynamic loads, vibroacoustic loads, acoustic loading, random loads, transient loads, dynamic response, load identification.
Organizers: TBD - Dynamics of Space Structures and Deployable Systems
Keywords: deployment dynamics, flexible multibody dynamics, nonlinear dynamics, large flexible structures, membrane and cable structures, deployable structures, structural stability.
Organizers: TBD - Structural Dynamics and Aeroelasticity of Propulsion Systems
Keywords: propeller and rotor dynamics; blade vibration; whirl flutter; forced response; rotor–structure interaction; fluid–structure interaction; aeroelasticity; aeroacoustics.
Organizers: TBD
The Materials Track covers a wide range of established and emerging research areas in aerospace-related materials science and engineering, spanning mechanics of materials, manufacturing, modeling, and experimental characterization. Topics include advanced manufacturing; artificial intelligence applications in materials design and discovery; architected and metamaterials; damage, fatigue, and fracture; emerging materials technologies; integrated computational materials engineering; materials for extreme environments; micromechanics and multiscale modeling; multifunctional materials; structural bonding and surface modifications; and materials testing and characterization.
Topics
- Advanced Manufacturing
Description: Advances in manufacturing and processing of polymers, ceramics, composites, and metals, including additive manufacturing, hybrid manufacturing, and novel processing routes. Topics include process–structure–property relationships, manufacturing process optimization, scalability, and manufacturing of complex or multifunctional aerospace structures.
Organizers: Jinhui Yan, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA; Tianyang Zhou, San José State University, USA - Applications of AI
Description: Applications of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data-driven methods in materials design, manufacturing, characterization, and material properties. Topics may include materials discovery, process optimization, defect detection and mitigation, property prediction, digital twins, and physics-informed machine learning.
Organizers: Vikas Varshney, Air Force Research Laboratory, USA; Shiyao Lin, The University of Texas at Arlington, USA; Jie Chen, Virginia Tech, USA - Architected materials/metamaterials
Description: Design, fabrication, mechanics, and multifunctional performance of architected materials and metamaterials with properties governed by both material composition and architecture. Topics include lattices, cellular materials, foams, origami/kirigami structures, mechanical metamaterials, and hierarchical architectures based on polymers, ceramics, composites, and other material systems.
Organizers: Susmita Naskar, University of Southampton, UK; Tanmoy Mukhopadhyay, University of Southampton, UK; Yanyu Chen, University of Georgia, USA - Damage, Fatigue, and Fracture
Description: Experimental, computational, and theoretical studies of damage initiation and evolution, fatigue, fracture, and failure in engineering materials. Topics include polymers, ceramics, composites, interfaces, and heterogeneous materials, with emphasis on understanding mechanisms and developing predictive models across relevant length and time scales.
Organizers: Paulina Diaz-Montiel, University of San Diego, USA; Shiyao Lin, The University of Texas at Arlington, USA - Emerging Materials Technology
Description: Development and application of emerging material systems with novel processing routes, structures, or functionalities. Topics include advanced polymers and ceramics, dynamic and adaptive materials, nanostructured and bio-inspired materials, sustainable materials, and new material concepts for structural and multifunctional applications.
Organizers: Shanmugam Kumar, University of Glasgow, UK; Navid Zobeiry, University of Washington, USA - Integrated Computational Materials Engineering
Description: Integration of computational tools, experiments, processing, and materials data to accelerate materials development and engineering. Contributions addressing process–structure–property–performance relationships, computational materials design, uncertainty quantification, and integration of models across multiple length and time scales are encouraged.
Organizers: Marco Salviato, University of Washington, USA; Enrico Zappino, Politecnico di Torino, Italy - Materials for Extreme Environments
Description: Materials, structures, and manufacturing approaches designed for operation under extreme thermal, mechanical, chemical, radiation, or environmental conditions. Topics include high-temperature ceramics and polymers, extreme loading such as impact, harsh chemical environments, and space environments.
Organizers: Yunlan Zhang, University of Texas at Austin, USA; Yu Cheng, Caterpillar Inc., USA - Micromechanics and Multiscale Modeling
Description: Mechanics and modeling approaches that connect material behavior across molecular, microstructural, mesoscopic, and structural scales. Topics include micromechanics of polymers, ceramics, and composites; molecular and mesoscale simulations; homogenization; interface mechanics; and multiscale prediction of deformation, damage, and failure.
Organizers: Ning Liu, Henkel, USA; Evan Pineda, NASA, USA - Multifunctional Materials
Description: Materials and structures designed to provide multiple coupled functions beyond conventional load bearing. Topics include self-healing and adaptive materials, stimuli-responsive polymers, thermal and electrical functionality, sensing, energy absorption, actuation, and multifunctional composites and architected materials.
Organizers: Mohammad Naraghi, Texas A&M University, USA; Jizhe Cai, Florida A&M University – Florida State University, USA; Shanmugam Kumar, University of Glasgow, UK - Structural Bonding and Surface Modifications
Description: Fundamental and applied studies of adhesion, joining, interfaces, coatings, and surface modification for controlling structural performance. Topics include polymer and composite bonding, ceramic and dissimilar-material interfaces, surface functionalization, interfacial mechanics, coatings, and approaches for improving adhesion, durability, damage tolerance, and environmental resistance.
Organizers: Arief Yudhanto, Missouri University of Science and Technology, USA - Testing and Characterization
Description: Development and application of experimental methods for characterizing the structure, properties, deformation, damage, and failure of materials across multiple length and time scales. Topics include mechanical and thermomechanical testing, microscopy and spectroscopy, in-situ and operando characterization, and nondestructive evaluation for polymers, ceramics, composites, and other engineering materials.
Organizers: Rassel Raihan, The University of Texas at Arlington, USA; Navid Zobeiry, University of Washington, USA
