The excitement obtained by solving complex technical problems for the built environment starting from basic laws of physics is comparable to that experienced as a 5-year old when unwrapping a Santa Claus present.

Akke Suiker obtained his MSc degree in Civil Engineering (Cum laude, 1995) and his PhD degree in Applied Mechanics (Cum Laude, 2002) at the Delft University of Technology. He had 1-year post-doc visits at the University of Massachusetts, U.S.A. and Cambridge University U.K. Since 2012 he is Full Professor at the Eindhoven University of Technology, Department of the Built Environment, leading the group of Applied Mechanics. From 2001-2008 he held the position of Assistant Professor and from 2008-2011 of Associate Professor and acting chair of Computational Mechanics at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology. His research interests relate to micromechanical modeling of failure and deformation of materials and multi-scale and multi-physics modeling of solids. He has published over 70 journal articles in the research fields of Theoretical and Applied Solid Mechanics and Applied Engineering, and was elected as “Best Lecturer of the Delft University of Technology, 2009-2010”. In addition, he has won 4 awards on graduate teaching excellence and PhD supervision excellence at the Department of the Built Environment of the TU/e. He is a member of editorial boards of scientific journals in the field of Applied Mechanics and has served 4 times as guest editor of Philosophical Magazine (Est. 1798). Several of his journal articles have led to registered patents.  

Professor Suiker leads the group of Applied Mechanics, where the research focuses on the modelling of failure and deformation behaviour of materials and structures relevant for the built environment. Interactions between mechanical processes and other physical processes (thermal, hygral, chemical, fluid flow, magnetic) are studied, and effects observed at various scales of observation, ranging from the micro- to the macro scale, are coherently included in the modelling strategy. For this purpose, the models are required to be thermodynamically consistent, their numerical discretization is performed with robust and accurate schemes, and their applicability is validated by means of advanced laboratory experiments. When possible, the modelling results are translated towards design graphs useful for engineering practice. This should lead to a thorough insight and understanding of practical problems, and to new and better technical solutions. Recent applications relate to 3D printing, historical paintings and furniture, wind energy turbines, sewer systems, structural safety under fire exposure, granular materials, among others.