Dr Elia Gironacci

Biography

• BSc in Construction Engineering and Buildings Recovery (2010) from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Marche (Ancona, Italy)
• MSc in Construction Engineering (2013, Hons) from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Marche (Ancona, Italy)
• PhD in Computational Mechanics (2018) from the School of Engineering, University of Warwick (Coventry, UK) supervised by Dr Mohaddeseh Mousavi Nezhad and Prof J Toby Mottram

Research Interests

• Computational modelling of crack propagation of quasi-brittle materials with heterogeneous structure
• Thermo-fracture mechanics
• Engineering Education: learning experience for apprentices

2025-26 Teaching

• ES196 Engineering Structures
• ES2H2 Creative and Conceptual Design
• ES2H4 Structural Analysis and Design
• Civil and Infrastructure Engineering (BEng) Degree Apprenticeship Tutor

Publications and conferences

Books

• Davis, J. P., Gironacci, E., McGowan, S., Nyamapfene, A., Rattray, J., Tierney, A., Webb, A. (2023). Threshold Concepts in the Moment. Brill

Book Chapters

• Rodgers, A. S., Agg, C., Gironacci, E., Collingwood, J. F., & Popham, T. J. (2023). An Innovative Framework for the Design of Higher Education STEM Induction Programmes. In Perspectives on Enhancing Student Transition Into Higher Education and Beyond (pp. 69-94). IGI Global

Journal Papers

• Nezhad, M. M., Fisher, Q. J., Gironacci, E., & Rezania, M. (2018). Experimental study and numerical modeling of fracture propagation in shale rocks during Brazilian disk test. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 51(6), 1755-1775.
• Gironacci, E., Nezhad, M. M., Rezania, M., & Lancioni, G. (2018). A non-local probabilistic method for modeling of crack propagation. International Journal of Mechanical Sciences, 144, 897-908.
• Mousavi Nezhad, M., Gironacci, E., Rezania, M., & Khalili, N. (2018). Stochastic modelling of crack propagation in materials with random properties using isometric mapping for dimensionality reduction of nonlinear data sets. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, 113(4), 656-680.

Conferences

• Gironacci, E. (2025). Crossing Thresholds in Practice: Liminality and the Development of Soft Skills in Engineering Education, 10th Biennial Threshold Concepts Conference in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

• Gironacci, E. (2019). Comparative Study ­ Teaching and Learning approaches comparison between traditional BEng and Degree Apprenticeship in Civil Engineering. Warwick Education Conference., Coventry, UK.

• Gironacci, E., Mousavi Nezhad, M., (2017). Non-linear dimensionality reduction technique of random fields applied on fracture mechanics problems .2^nd ECCOMAS Thematic Conference on International Conference on Uncertainty Quantification in Computational Sciences and Engineering UNCECOMP, Rhodes Island, Greece.
• Gironacci, E., Mousavi Nezhad, M., Rezania, M., (2015). Modelling of crack propagation in brittle heterogeneous materials.The 23^rd Annual Conference on Computational Mechanics, Swansea, UK.
• Mousavi Nezhad, M., Gironacci, E., Rezania M., Fisher, Q., (2015). Computational modelling of crack propagation in shale-gas reservoir rocks. The 23^rd Annual Conference on Computational Mechanics, Swansea, UK.
• Gironacci, E., Mousavi Nezhad M., Mottram, J.T., (2015). Modelling of crack propagation of brittle heterogeneous materials. Young Researchers Forum, The Institution of Structural Engineers, London, UK.

Departmental Roles and Responsibilities

• Head of Education and Student Experience (2025-)

• Interim Director of Skills, Industry Training and Apprenticeships (2025-)

• Director of Studies, Civil and Environmental Engineering Stream (2022-2025)
• Degree Apprenticeship in Civil and Infrastructure Engineering Programme Manager (2018-2022)
• Degree Apprenticeship in Civil and Infrastructure Engineering Apprenticeship Tutor (2018-)