Jarkko Niiranen

Jarkko Niiranen

Associate Professor
T214 Civil Engineering
Associate Professor
Professor (Associate Professor)
Department of Civil Engineering

I work as a tenured Associate Professor in Computational Structural Engineering at Department of Civil Engineering, Aalto University.

During 2013–2018, I worked as an Academy Research Fellow funded by Academy of Finland. I was appointed as August-Wilhelm Scheer Visiting Professor at Technische Universität München (TUM) for May–August 2018, and accordingly Honorary Fellow of TUM Institute for Advanced Study (TUM-IAS).

I am proud to note — in these days of hype and confusion — that I work in a field in which digitalization started on large scale in the 1970s and 1980s via the software developments of the Finite Element Method (FEM) for which the seminal contributions of engineers and mathematicians date back to the 1950s and 1960s, having roots in the mathematical works of Hrennikoff and Courant in the 1940s. It should be emphasized that typically the focus of computational engineering is neither in organizing simple data in a digital form for data mining nor in brute force number crunching rather than in making computers to simulate, via physico-mathematical models and mathematical algorithms, the laws of nature for predicting the consequences of complex (chemico-physical) phenomena taking place in nature or in engineering artifacts — phenomena that are most often impossible, or far too expensive, to implement in laboratory environments.

The theoretical focus of my research group is close to my personal research background in the crossroads of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics and Numerical Analysis with a focus on physico-mathematical models and numerical methods for the mechanics of solids and structures — touching such classical fields as Computational Mechanics, Structural Mechanics, Mechanics of Materials and Computational Structural Engineering. My research team focuses on models and methods for mechanics of solids and structures, especially on finite element methods (FEM) and isogeometric analysis (IGA) for mechanics of thin structures, such as plates, shells and beams, combined with both classical and generalized continuum theories. Our activities range from continuum models and related numerical methods all the way down to programming, software issues and applications, such as structural analysis and design as well as integration of Computer-Aided Design / Building Information Modeling (CAD / BIM), Computer-Aided Engineering / Finite Element Analysis (CAE / FEA) and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM). Most recently, I have been focusing on modeling lattice and cellular structures and mechanical metamaterials as well as 3D-printed metal structures.

The applicational focus of my research group is on small-scale research and teaching projects accomplished by multi-faceted Design+Analysis teams focusing on computational methodologies in structural engineering combined with parametric and algorithmic architecture and design. Our primary focus is now on thin-walled structures. New materials and digitalized production technologies will be essential applicational side topics as well.

Altogether, we are interested in collaboration within both academic research topics and ambitious industrial applications in the aforementioned fields. 

BACKGROUND

During my MSc studies and after the graduation, I worked as a Structural Analyst Trainee (KCI Konecranes VLC, 1995–1996) and then as a Structural Analysis Software Developer for a few years (Engineering Office FEMdata, 1997–2002), before starting my doctoral studies (Department of Mathematics, Helsinki University of Technology, 2002–2006).

After finishing my DSc Thesis, I have worked as an Assistant in Structural Mechanics (Department of Structural Engineering and Building Technology, Helsinki University of Technology, 2006–2008), Academy of Finland Post-doctoral Researcher (Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, Aalto University School of Engineering, 2009–2012), Teaching Researcher (2012–2013) and Visiting Post-doctoral Research Fellow (Institute for Applied Mathematics and Information Technologies, Pavia, National Research Council, Italy, 2012–2013).

In 2013, I was appointed as an Assistant Professor in Computational Structural Engineering at the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, Aalto University School of Engineering, and soon after an Academy Research Fellow. In 2019, I was appointed as a tenured Associate Professor.

Full researcher profile
https://research.aalto.fi/...

Contact information

Phone number
+358503503196

Areas of expertise

Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Computational structural engineering, Computational mechanics, Finite element methods, Thin structures, Generalized continuum mechanics, Isogeometric analysis, Mechanics of materials, Adaptive methods, 216 Materials engineering, 113 Computer and information sciences, 212 Civil and construction engineering, 111 Mathematics, Construction engineering, Computational science, Applied mathematics

Honors and awards

Supervisor for MSc Thesis awarded by Fabian and Jaakko Ahvenainen Foundation

MSc Thesis student Miika Koljonen
Award or honor granted for a specific work Department of Civil Engineering Jan 2020

Supervisor for MSc Thesis awarded by Fabian and Jaakko Ahvenainen Foundation

MSc Thesis student Hermanni Morander
Award or honor granted for a specific work Department of Civil Engineering Jan 2020

Supervisor for Oskari Vilamo Fund Best Doctoral Thesis

Oskari Vilamo Fund Best Best Doctoral Thesis in Building Trade, recipient Viacheslv Balobanov
Award or honor granted for a specific work Department of Civil Engineering Jan 2019

Supervisor for Oskari Vilamo Fund Best Doctoral Thesis

Oskari Vilamo Fund Best Best Doctoral Thesis in Building Trade, recipient Sergei Khakalo
Award or honor granted for a specific work Department of Civil Engineering Jan 2018

Supervisor for Best Doctoral Dissertation 2018 of Aalto ENG

Best Doctoral Dissertation 2018 of Aalto University School of Engineering for Viacheslav Balobanov
Award or honor granted for a specific work Department of Civil Engineering Jan 2018

Supervisor for Best Doctoral Dissertation 2017 of Aalto ENG

Best Doctoral Dissertation 2017 of Aalto University School of Engineering for Sergei Khakalo
Award or honor granted for a specific work Department of Civil Engineering Jan 2017

Academy of Finland Postdoctoral Researcher

Academy of Finland Postdoctoral Researcher, 9/2009--3/2013
Award or honor granted for academic or artistic career Department of Civil Engineering Jan 2009

Academy of Finland Research Fellow

Academy of Finland Research Fellowship, 9/2013--8/2018
Award or honor granted for academic or artistic career Department of Civil Engineering Jan 2013

Honorary Fellow of TUM Institute for Advanced Studies

Award or honor granted for academic or artistic career Department of Civil Engineering Dec 2017

August-Wilhelm Scheer Visiting Professor 2017 / TUM Excellence Initiative

Award or honor granted for academic or artistic career Department of Civil Engineering Dec 2017

Research groups

  • Structures – Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Computation, Professor (Associate Professor)

Publications

Structural buckling analysis of pre-twisted strips

Sergei Khakalo, Jarkko Niiranen 2023 Engineering Structures

Practical folding meets measurable paper properties

Jarmo Kouko, Tomi Kankkunen, Miia Palmu, Jarkko Niiranen, Kirsi Peltonen 2023 Materialia

Alkusanat

Jarkko Niiranen 2023 Rakenteiden mekaniikka

3D strain gradient elasticity : Variational formulations, isogeometric analysis and model peculiarities

S. B. Hosseini, J. Niiranen 2022 Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering

Parametric linear finite element stress and stability analysis of isotropic and orthotropic self-supporting Miura-ori structures

Tomi Kankkunen, Jarkko Niiranen, Jarmo Kouko, Miia Palmu, Kirsi Peltonen 2022 Mechanics of Advanced Materials and Structures

Multi-patch variational differential quadrature method for shear-deformable strain gradient plates

Jalal Torabi, Jarkko Niiranen, Reza Ansari 2022 International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering

Spatially random modulus and tensile strength : Contribution to variability of strain, damage, and fracture in concrete

Daniel Castillo, Tuan H.A. Nguyen, Jarkko Niiranen 2021 International Journal of Damage Mechanics

Bending behavior of octet-truss lattice structures : Modelling options, numerical characterization and experimental validation

N. Korshunova, G. Alaimo, S. B. Hosseini, M. Carraturo, A. Reali, J. Niiranen, F. Auricchio, E. Rank, S. Kollmannsberger 2021 Materials & design

Image-based numerical characterization and experimental validation of tensile behavior of octet-truss lattice structures

N. Korshunova, G. Alaimo, S. B. Hosseini, M. Carraturo, A. Reali, J. Niiranen, F. Auricchio, E. Rank, S. Kollmannsberger 2021 Additive Manufacturing