Damage and failure of deformable solids is a constantly evolving scientific field which poses a real challenge in terms of comprehension, control and modeling. Driven by different industrial sectors, the research devoted to the study of the physical mechanisms responsible for damage and fracture of engineering materials like metals, polymers, ceramics and composites under EXTREME LOADING CONDITIONS has been especially prolific over the last decade. Nevertheless, despite the significant efforts spent by scientists in increasing their understanding of the processes of strain localization, damage and failure, it is clear that a number of scientific questions remain open. Within this general theme, three main areas will be covered in this Colloquium: (1) experimental and numerical techniques, (2) material, spatial and temporal length scales and (3) failure mechanisms. Within each area, the following list provides a sampling of the topics of interest:

Experimental and numerical techniques
• In-situ/real-time experimental evaluation of damage and failure in materials and structures subjected to extreme loading.
• Advanced numerical techniques/methodologies for the simulation of damage and failure in materials and structures subjected to extreme loading.
• From the laboratory to real applications: scaling laws in dynamic experiments.
• Experimental characterization and simulation of viscoplasticity under extremely high/low temperatures.
• Very high cycle fatigue tests.
• Crashworthiness: experiments and simulations.
• Spalling: experiments and simulations.

Material, spatial and temporal length scales
• The role of micromechanical length scales in damage and failure of metals subjected to extreme loading.
• The role of inertia and thermomechanical coupling in damage and failure of metals subjected to extreme loading.
• The length scales in homogenized constitutive models used to simulated dynamic processes.
• The length scales in dynamic damage and fracture of ceramics and polymeric composites.
• The interplay between surface roughness and fracture toughness in dynamic ductile failure.

Failure mechanisms
• Structural instabilities under extreme loading: cavitation, necking, petalling, etc.
• Fracture instabilities under extreme loading: crack branching, etc.
• Material instabilities under extreme loading: shear banding, etc.
• Fragmentation of structures subjected to impact and blast loading.
• Thermal and stress shock fractures of brittle and ductile materials.

This colloquium aims at gathering scientists from all horizons (analytical, numerical and experimental) in order to present their recent developments and results. Potential participants are encouraged to present their latest results, including work in progress, with emphasis on cross-comparisons between theory, modeling and experiments.