Fabrice GATUINGT

Research activities

My research activities are broadly concerned with the modelling and simulation of the mechanical behaviour of structures using a resolutely cross-disciplinary approach that forms part of a Behaviour Model - Tests - Calculations synergy. My work covers a range of theoretical and experimental developments with the aim of simulating the behaviour of complex structures subjected to mainly dynamic loading. Three main areas of research can therefore be highlighted: the development of behaviour laws adapted to engineering needs, numerical simulations linked to their use on real, concrete structural design problems and, finally, experimental validation.

An approach based on the experimental behaviour of a complex material such as concrete (personal tests or from the literature) has therefore made it possible to develop several behaviour models. The development of these models is based on the mechanics of damage and its various possible couplings. My main contributions in this area concern

• Taking into account the anisotropy induced by dynamic loading
• Coupling damage, plasticity and porosity during severe loading  
• Taking account of drying in the behaviour of structures.

In order to validate the modelling approaches adopted, experimental campaigns were developed. These campaigns looked at behaviour from the material scale right up to the structural element at scale 1, both statically and dynamically. Significant work was also carried out on test instrumentation.

Once the behavioural models had been validated and identified, I turned my attention to the structural scale in order to develop numerical techniques for calculating the structure under complex loading. During this part of my work, I was able to make full use of my various experiences and collaborations in the laboratory.

Recently, my work has focused on the influence that the initial state of a structure's material could have when an exceptional event occurs, something that is rarely done today. This work, along with that on possible reinforcement by bonding composites, should eventually enable us to determine the safety margins of a structure and decide whether or not it should be reinforced.

Teaching activities

As part of the ENS Civil and Environmental Engineering Teaching and Research Department:

• Responsible for the ‘First Immersive Research Experience’ modules of the MAISES and ECD courses of the M1 Master in Civil Engineering at the University of Paris Saclay.
• Responsible for the ‘Numerical Methods’ and ‘Structures Subject to Transient Loads and Interaction Problems’ modules of the M2 MAISES course of the Master in Civil Engineering at the University of Paris Saclay.

Recent collective responsibilities

• Deputy Director of Education at the Graduate School of Engineering and Systems Sciences (1600 Masters students, 600 PhD students and 2800 researchers), starting 09/2020. University of Paris-Saclay
• Coordination of training activities for the 10 GS Masters courses (1,500 Masters students)
• President of the Scientific Council of ESITC Paris since January 2022.
• Scientific Director for the LMPS of the Contract Research Laboratory PREVI - Pôle de recherche et détudes sur la Vulnérabilité des Infrastructures - (CEA Gramat/ENS Paris-Saclay/UGA/Univ. Lille) since 2021.
• Deputy Director of the LMT Cachan (UMR 8535, approximately 150 members including 40 researchers and teacher-researchers and 75 PhD students) from 2015 to 2022, when it merged with the MSSMat to form the LMPS.
• Head of the Civil Engineering Master's programme at the Université Paris-Saclay (3 M1, 4 M2, 80 students) from 2015 to 2020.
• Member of the Scientific Council of the École Française du Béton from 2017 to 2021.
• French representative (deputy) on the International Federation for Structural Concrete from 2016 to 2022.
• Creation of the Civil Engineering Master's Degree at Université Paris Saclay (2013-2015)

Publications