Research expertise

Andrea Chiocca

Researcher in machine design (research contract)

I study fatigue and structural integrity of notched and welded components, combining finite element modelling, analytical methods and experiments. Applications include automotive components and additive manufacturing.

Machine design group (Gruppo di Costruzione di Macchine), Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering (DICI), University of Pisa.

Co-Leader of FABER WG3 (Fatigue Estimation Competition). PhD in Industrial Engineering, Pisa, 2021.

FIG. 01Fatigue research
Cauchy cube with 90 degree out-of-phase axial and shear stresses Illustrative, normalized stress history. The prescribed components are σ_zz / σ_a = sin(ωt) and τ_zx / σ_a = τ_xz / σ_a = 0.6 sin(ωt + 90 degrees). All other components are zero. The values shown on the cube faces represent the instantaneous stress state at time t in the loading history. Arrows reverse direction at sign changes and vanish at zero. The cube is undeformed. Without animation, the figure shows ωt = 45 degrees. σzz τzx τxz t(y) = 0 +z+x+y xyz σzz/σa τzx/σa = τxz/σa +0.707+0.424 +10-1 t - TΔφ = 90°now (t)
Axial + shear loading. Shear amplitude / normal amplitude = 0.6.
Model and notation

Illustrative, normalized stress history. The prescribed components are σ_zz / σ_a = sin(ωt) and τ_zx / σ_a = τ_xz / σ_a = 0.6 sin(ωt + 90 degrees). All other components are zero. The values shown on the cube faces represent the instantaneous stress state at time t in the loading history. Arrows reverse direction at sign changes and vanish at zero. The cube is undeformed. Without animation, the figure shows ωt = 45 degrees.

Subscripts identify the face-normal axis first and the traction direction second. Only the three visible positive faces are shown. The hidden opposite faces carry opposite traction vectors. Both curves and all arrows use a common stress scale. This illustration is not experimental data or a fatigue-life prediction.

σ / τResearch areas

Students and research partners

For students

Thesis projects in fatigue, computational mechanics and experimental testing, in Pisa or abroad.

Explore thesis opportunities

For researchers & industry

Experimental and numerical–experimental capabilities for joint research.

Laboratory capabilities

Current research activity

FABER (Fatigue Benchmark Repository)

COST Action CA23109: shared fatigue datasets and benchmarks for comparing life predictions.

Recent Publications

  1. Fatigue Assessment of Welded Joints Subjected to Multiaxial Loading Conditions through the Effective Critical Plane Approach
    Andrea Chiocca, and Francesco Frendo
    Fatigue & Fracture of Engineering Materials & Structures, 2026
    First published online on 25 August 2026.
    DOI Publisher
    BibTeX 
    @article{Chiocca2026WeldedECP,
  author = {Chiocca, Andrea and Frendo, Francesco},
  doi = {10.1111/ffe.70429},
  journal = {Fatigue \& Fracture of Engineering Materials \& Structures},
  note = {First published online on 25 August 2026.},
  number = {11},
  pages = {5048--5064},
  title = {Fatigue Assessment of Welded Joints Subjected to Multiaxial Loading Conditions through the Effective Critical Plane Approach},
  volume = {49},
  date = {2026-08-25},
  year = {2026}
}
  2. Application of the Effective critical plane approach for the fatigue assessment of ductile cast iron under multiaxial and non-proportional loading conditions
    Andrea Chiocca, Matteo Pedranz, Filippo Zanini, Simone Carmignato, Vigilio Fontanari, Matteo Benedetti, and Francesco Frendo
    International Journal of Fatigue, Mar 2025
    DOI Publisher
    BibTeX 
    @article{Chiocca2025,
  author = {Chiocca, Andrea and Pedranz, Matteo and Zanini, Filippo and Carmignato, Simone and Fontanari, Vigilio and Benedetti, Matteo and Frendo, Francesco},
  doi = {10.1016/j.ijfatigue.2024.108716},
  issn = {01421123},
  journal = {International Journal of Fatigue},
  month = mar,
  pages = {108716},
  publisher = {Elsevier},
  title = {{Application of the Effective critical plane approach for the fatigue assessment of ductile cast iron under multiaxial and non-proportional loading conditions}},
  volume = {192},
  year = {2025}
}
  3. Fatigue assessment of structural components through the Effective Critical Plane approach: methodology and applications
    Andrea Chiocca, Francesco Frendo, and Michele Sgamma
    In 14. International Conference on Multiaxial Fatigue and Fracture 2025, 2025
    DOI Publisher
    BibTeX 
    @inproceedings{Chiocca2025a,
  author = {Chiocca, Andrea and Frendo, Francesco and Sgamma, Michele},
  booktitle = {14. International Conference on Multiaxial Fatigue and Fracture 2025},
  doi = {10.48447/ICMFF14-2025-25},
  title = {{Fatigue assessment of structural components through the Effective Critical Plane approach: methodology and applications}},
  year = {2025}
}
  4. Temperature Effect on Fatigue Performance of Thermoset and Thermoplastic Composites
    Andrea Chiocca, Michele Sgamma, Alessandro Franceschini, Alessio Vestri, Simone Mancini, Francesco Bucchi, Francesco Frendo, and Raffaele Squarcini
    In SAE Technical Paper Series, 2025
    DOI Publisher
    BibTeX 
    @inproceedings{Chiocca2025ab,
  author = {Chiocca, Andrea and Sgamma, Michele and Franceschini, Alessandro and Vestri, Alessio and Mancini, Simone and Bucchi, Francesco and Frendo, Francesco and Squarcini, Raffaele},
  booktitle = {SAE Technical Paper Series},
  doi = {10.4271/2025-32-0006},
  journal = {SAE Technical Papers},
  pages = {2025-32-0006},
  title = {Temperature Effect on Fatigue Performance of Thermoset and Thermoplastic Composites},
  year = {2025}
}
  5. A perspective on the structural integrity of notched components through the Effective Critical Plane approach
    Francesco Frendo, Andrea Chiocca, and Michele Sgamma
    Engineering Failure Analysis, 2025
    DOI Publisher
    BibTeX 
    @article{Frendo2025,
  author = {Frendo, Francesco and Chiocca, Andrea and Sgamma, Michele},
  doi = {10.1016/j.engfailanal.2025.109517},
  issn = {13506307},
  journal = {Engineering Failure Analysis},
  pages = {109517},
  publisher = {Pergamon},
  title = {{A perspective on the structural integrity of notched components through the Effective Critical Plane approach}},
  volume = {175},
  year = {2025}
}
View all publications

Software and research data

Open software and datasets, including the FABER WG4.3 multiaxial fatigue library.

Interested in research collaboration?

Write to me about joint research, proposals or industrial fatigue problems.

andrea.chiocca@unipi.it