FRAMEGLOW · Advanced Quantized FRActure MEchanics models of ice and snow for GLObal Warming risk mitigation

Fracture mechanics theories are still incomplete, and this limits our current ability to predict the strength of materials, which is particularly important in civil and mechanical engineering. FRAMEGLOW aims to address this critical knowledge gap in understanding from a fundamental engineering science perspective, by (i) developing a complete fracture mechanics theory, and (ii) using it to solve a critical global problem, i.e. how climate change/global warming will lead -on different size and time scales- to global ice and snow fragilization, and thus (iii) providing important societal benefits (e.g. dynamic avalanche risk maps), potentially saving human lives. After the formulation of a (more) complete fracture theory, starting from the quantized/finite/discrete fracture mechanics theory proposed by the PI, other disciplines will be coupled for the specific application, namely tribology (to describe the transition imposed by climate change on friction, from dry to wet) and thermodynamics (global warming/temperature effects on material properties). Discrete numerical models, developed by the PI in recent years, are the ideal counterpart (as phase field models) of the complete quantized fracture mechanics theory and will accordingly be extended and used for mutual comparisons and analytically intractable problems. Physics-based machine learning tools and data-driven state of the art “snowpack” code calculations will also be adopted for data analysis and snowpack predictions under climate change. Laboratory or field experiments and observations will also be performed for inputs and comparisons with both analytical and numerical modelling. This will allow to surpass the limitations of current material strength predictions, crucial in our civil and mechanical engineering, and the related ability in predicting ice and especially snow avalanches, hopefully to save human lives