When materials are subjected to external forces or environmental loads, microscale deformations and microcracks can develop in their microstructures, eventually leading to macroscopic failure. The reliability of such materials is becoming ever more crucial not only from the perspectives of carbon neutrality and resource recycling, but also in a wide range of fields such as advanced devices and medical applications.
Our research utilizes fracture mechanics and nondestructive evaluation to experimentally observe microscopic damage phenomena, and we have established a research framework to reproduce these phenomena through numerical simulations. Furthermore, by leveraging the abundant interrelated data—linking microstructure, microscopic fracture, and material properties—obtained from these simulations and conducting inverse analyses with data-driven methods, we propose material design strategies aimed at optimizing macroscopic properties. By integrating experimental approaches, numerical analyses, and data-driven techniques, we strive to achieve a comprehensive understanding of damage mechanisms from the micro scale to macroscopic fracture behavior, ultimately contributing to a safer and more resilient social infrastructure.