My research is concerned with the various phenomena of instability and non-linear behaviour of slender structures. A structure is said to be slender when one of its dimensions is much larger than one of the other two. Examples are ubiquitous in nature: branches and tree leaves, spider silk, hair, cell membranes; as well as in industrial components: turbine blades, aircraft wings,etc. Regardless of their nature, slender structures are modelled with the theories of beams, rods, plates or shells. In my research group, three lines of research on slender structures are prioritised: their reconfiguration under fluid flow, their 3D printing, and their shaping by the imposition of residual stresses.
