HyThermSim: Thermo-mechanical Hybrid Simulation Platform for Structural Testing

This technology offers a realistic, cost-effective platform for evaluating thermo-mechanical behaviour of structures under complex conditions. It accurately simulates temperature-dependent dynamic responses, replicates boundary conditions with high fidelity and quantifies thermo-mechanical coupling, enabling better understanding of fire and seismic effects. Providing reliable data for model validation and flexible integration with simulations, it accelerates the development of safer structural systems across engineering domains.

The hybrid thermo-mechanical testing platform is applicable across a wide range of structural and materials research domains. It enables evaluation of steel and concrete members under fire or high-temperature conditions, investigation of temperature-dependent behaviour in seismic isolation bearings and validation of thermo-mechanical constitutive models. The system also supports seismic simulations influenced by temperature effects, laboratory-scale testing coupled with full-structure models and the development of advanced hybrid control algorithms for dynamic structural analysis under thermal loading.

• Enables real-time study of temperature effects on stiffness, damping and hysteresis under realistic loading.
• Supports diverse experimental setups with customizable virtual and physical models.
• Ensures accurate interaction replication through advanced impedance matching control.
• Reduces fabrication and operational costs via hybrid physical–numerical modelling and compact equipment.
• Conducted in controlled laboratory environments, avoiding risks of full-scale destructive tests.