Our CompMech members M. Carraturo, L. Greco, and M. Torre participated in the 10th edition of the HOFEIM Workshop (High-Order Finite Element and Isogeometric Methods), held in Siena, Italy, from 25 to 28 May 2026. 

Our members contributed to the conference by presenting three posters during the poster session: 

• State Variable Projection Using Quasi-Interpolant Operators, by Carraturo et al. 

• Benefits of High-Order Phase-Field Models in Fracture Mechanics via Isogeometric Discretization, by Greco et al. 

• Kirchhoff–Love Shells for Muscular Thin Film Modelling, by Torre et al. 

The workshop proved to be a highly rewarding experience, providing an intensive week of scientific exchange, fruitful discussions, and opportunities for collaboration. 

Goal: verify that the adhesive DP490 employed to attach Carbon and Kevlar reinforcement patches onto PETG beams endures repeated cyclic loading, thereby confirming its suitability for everyday use in orthopedic brace applications.

Method: to evaluate the performance of the adhesive used to bond the reinforced patches onto the PETG specimens, a durability test under force control was carried out through cyclic loading using a three-point bending (3PB) setup. The analysis was performed by G. Francabandiera under the supervision of B. Rossetti, using the Litem BYC 200 machine available at the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture (DICAR) at the University of Pavia. The research activity was coordinated by G. Alaimo, S. Marconi, and F. Auricchio. Two specimens were tested: the first consisted of a 3 mm thick PETG sample with two-layer carbon fiber reinforcement patches bonded to both ends (resulting in a total thickness of 5.25 mm), and the second consisted of a 3 mm thick PETG sample with two-layer Kevlar reinforcement patches bonded to both ends (resulting in a total thickness of 4.8 mm), both specimens were 130 mm long and the adhesive was left to cure for 16 hours. The specimens were clamped at both ends and at the center, with the central clamp acting as the movable grip.