Dean Saxena Awarded Wohler Medal

Photo Submitted

Ashok Saxena, University of Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Ashok Saxena, Distinguished Professor and dean of the College of Engineering, was recently awarded the Wohler Medal by the European Society for Structural Integrity.

Saxena was recognized for his research on creep-fatigue interactions, which cause degradation in structural metals used at high temperatures. Degradation in these metals may lead to sudden and catastrophic failure of critical parts in steam and gas turbines. This type of degradation is the limiting factor in the design of steam and gas turbines in electricity-generating plants, aircraft engines and spacecraft.

The Wohler is given biannually to a senior researcher who has made significant contributions to the understanding of fatigue in metals. Saxena is the third U.S. researcher to receive the Wohler Medal.

Saxena received the medal for his “outstanding and seminal contributions on fatigue and fracture behavior of structural materials, with special emphasis on creep crack growth, component life predictions, and nanostructured materials.” The award was announced at the European Conference on Fracture in Dresden, Germany.

“The Wohler Medal is an outstanding recognition of Dean Saxena’s research accomplishments,” said James Rankin, vice provost for research and economic development. “This award also reflects well on the impressive research conducted by faculty at the University of Arkansas and the College of Engineering.”

Saxena’s research group developed laboratory test methods for understanding the creep-fatigue phenomenon. Their work resulted in mathematical models for describing the kinetics of creep-fatigue damage progression in metals and algorithms for predicting the rate of damage accumulation in high temperature components. These models and algorithms are used widely by industries mentioned above.

The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM International), the premier international organization for test standards of materials, issued two standards, one in 1992 and another in 2010, that are significantly based on the work of Saxena’s research team over the past 20 years, including seven years at the University of Arkansas. Understanding how fatigue damage progresses in load-bearing parts of structures has applications in the railroad, aerospace and aircraft industries. It also applies to the design of bridges and highways, power plants, biomedical implants and recreational equipment, such as golf clubs and skis.

Friedrich Wohler was a German chemist and the first scientist to systematize the concept of how metals fail when applied loads are cyclic or periodic, meaning the magnitude of the loads fluctuate over time rather than remaining constant.

Saxena holds the Irma and Ray Giffels’ Chair in Engineering.