Martins Da Silva Luis Carlos

Luis C. Martins da Silva is a researcher at the Department of Architecture, Construction Engineering, and Built Environment (DABC) at the Polytechnic University of Milan. He earned his master's degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Minho (Portugal) in 2013, receiving recognition as the best student. After a year of professional work at an engineering firm, he was awarded a four-year doctoral scholarship by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)—the first national recipient of a scholarship in structural engineering (out of 110 candidates)—and received his PhD from the University of Minho in June 2019. He was a postdoctoral researcher (2019–2020) as part of a joint project between the University of Minho, the Instituto Superior Técnico of Lisbon, and the Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil (Portugal). From 2020 to 2021, he was an Assistant Professor at the Universidade Lusófona in Lisbon, Portugal, where he taught the bachelor's and master's programs in Civil Engineering and served as vice-director of the Civil Engineering program. He also taught the international master's programs SAHC (as an assistant) and STREMuM (as coordinator of the Structural Dynamics and Seismic Engineering program) at the University of Minho in 2020.

Career

Senior Researcher (L. 240/2010) at the Polytechnic University of Milan, ABC Department, SSD ICAR/08 – Structural Mechanics (01/01/2025 – present).

Junior Researcher (L. 240/2010) at the Polytechnic University of Milan, ABC Department, SSD ICAR/08 – Structural Mechanics (2022–2024).

Assistant Professor at the Universidade Lusófona of Lisbon, Faculty of Engineering, Portugal (2020–2021).

PhD in Civil Engineering, University of Minho (Portugal), 2019.

Master's Degree in Civil Engineering (Structural), University of Minho (Portugal), 2013.

Research

His research focuses on the development of advanced numerical models for predicting the mechanical response of composite materials. He promotes the use of multi-scale approaches, homogenization-based methods, and discrete strategies. His main scientific contributions include studies in the mechanics of masonry structures and, more recently, in the field of engineered materials. He has authored over 20 articles published in international peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Selected Publications

L.C.M. da Silva, N. Grillanda, S. Casolo, Heuristic molecular modelling of quasi-isotropic auxetic metamaterials under large deformations, International Journal of Mechanical Sciences. Sci. 251 (2023) 108316, doi: 10.1016/j.ijmecsci.2023.108316

L.C.M. da Silva, G. Milani, E. Grande and M.F. Funari, Mechanistic Model for the Compression Strength Prediction of Masonry Columns Strengthened with Fibre–Polymer Composites, Composite Structures, 338, p. 118088 (2024). doi:10.1016/j.compstruct.2024.118088

Aquino, C. D., Schweigler, M., Rodrigues, L. G., L.C.M. da Silva, Branco, J. M., Bader, T. K. (2025). Numerical and fracture mechanics-based simulations of brittle failure in dowelled timber connections under in-plane multiaxial forces and bending moment. Engineering Structures, 343, 120987. DOI: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.120987

Lourenco PB, L. C. Silva (2020). Computational applications in masonry structures: from the meso-scale to the super-large/super-complex. International Journal for Multiscale Computational Engineering. 18:1–30. doi: 10.1615/IntJMultCompEng.2020030889.

L. C. Silva, P.B. Lourenco, and G. Milani (2018). Derivation of the out-of-plane behaviour of masonry through homogenization strategies: micro-scale level. Computers and Structures 2018; 209;30–43. doi: 10.1016/j.compstruc.2018.08.013

Grants, awards and Honours

Featured Article Award of volume 343-B of Engineering Structures 2026 Elsevier – “Numerical and fracture mechanics-based simulations of brittle failure in dowelled timber connections under in-plane multiaxial forces and bending moment” , published in Engineering Structures.

Mobility training grant Inbound Researcher Mobility (IRM) Program, Host Institution: Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), Indonesia (07-11 September 2025).

Recognition Top Cited Article 2020-2021 Wiley Publisher “Numerical homogenization-based seismic assessment of an English-bond masonry prototype: Structural level application”, pusblished in Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics.

Mobility training grant 2021 Erasmus+ mobility funding.

Community Service

Member of the Scientific Commission of the A.B.C. Department (2026-).

Member APMTAC - Portuguese Association of Theoretical, Applied, and Computational Mechanics. From 01-01-2022 to present.

Member EUROMECH - European Mechanics Society. From 08-09-2022 to present

Member AIMETA - Italian Association of Theoretical and Applied MechanicsPart of the Italian Group of Computational Mechanics (GIMC).

APEE member - Portuguese Society of Structural EngineersIndividual member - ID number 278) From 01-09-2019 to present.

SPES member - Portuguese Society of Seismic Engineering Individual member - ID number 289) Portuguese Order of Engineers.

Licensed Civil (Structural) Engineer in Portugal - ID number 76847