Contact Dr Richard Critchley
- Tel: +44 (0) 1234 864719
- Email: r.critchley@cranfield.ac.uk
- ORCID
Areas of expertise
- Armour systems
- Structures and Materials
- Vehicle Engineering & Mobility
Background
Dr Richard Critchley is a senior lecturer in impact and explosive engineering at Cranfield University who previously worked as a lecturer in mechanical engineering at the University of the West of England and a project engineer in industry for an SME. Dr Critchley is the holder of a PhD in mechanical engineering from Southampton University, which focused on bioinspired technologies for mitigating behind armour blunt trauma. Dr Critchley is a subject matter expert in the field of force protection and blast engineering and is a chartered member of the IMechE. Dr Critchley has extensive experience of teaching all levels of higher education and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Authority. Dr Critchley has supervised over 50 students at all levels of higher education in research topics including natural fibres for ballistic protection, novel infills for helmets and 3D printing of novel lattice structures for blast mitigation. Dr Critchley has authored numerous papers in his academic career in areas including blast mitigation, auxetic materials and impact mechanics and collaborates with several defence partners including DSTL and DE&S.
Current activities
Richard is primarily responsible for teaching Royal Engineers Force Protection Engineering Course that explores the fundamental theory that underpins security engineering. He is also the module leader for Munitions Target Response and Explosives Effects on Structure, which explore the mechanisms by which different armour materials and structures withstand a variety of blast and ballistic threats. Richard has a number of different research interest including:
Auxetic Materials
Porous Materials
Blast effects (Structures, Vehicles and People)
Protective Engineering
Force Protection
Impact Mechanics
Computational Modelling
Publications
Articles In Journals
- Alford R, Hazael R & Critchley R. (2025). Using the combustion continuum to distinguish between explosive material and explosive article reactions for a unified scale in ordnance disposal categorization. Journal of Energetic Materials, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print)
- Critchley R, Hennessy NP, Read J & Hazael R. (2025). Crossbow impact effect on clothing and potential associated injuries. Journal of Forensic Sciences, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print)
- Laycock A, Helliker A, Critchley R & Hazael R. (2025). Transitioning to low carbon construction: a review of blast and fragmentation impact research related to terrorist threats. Structures, 78
- Thawani B, Hazael R & Critchley R. (2024). Numerical modelling of hydrogen leakages in confined spaces for domestic applications. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 56
- Read J, McNaught KR, Hazael R & Critchley R. (2024). Evaluation of soft tissue simulant performance against economic and environmental impact. Environmental Science: Advances, 3(4)
- Read J, Quinlan P, Bloodworth-Race S, Hazael R & Critchley R. (2024). Sustainable and economical alternatives to fragment capture materials in explosive and ballistic trials. Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology, 20(4)
- Chester A, Critchley R & Hazael R. (2024). A comparison of far-field explosive loads by a selection of current and emerging blast software. International Journal of Protective Structures, 16(2)
- Collett G, Akhavan J & Critchley R. (2024). Understanding the explosion risk presented by ammonium nitrate and aluminium home-made explosives detonated as surface charges in hexahedral main charge containers. Discover Materials, 4(1)
- Chester A, Hazael R & Critchley R. (2024). Comparative analysis of blast prediction software for far-field shock wave effects behind a blast wall. International Journal of Protective Structures
- Alford R, Hazael R & Critchley R. (2024). Introducing the combustion continuum to define the transition points between burning, deflagration, and detonation regimes of energetic materials. Journal of Energetic Materials, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print)
- Thawani B, Lim SK, Brown L, Critchley R & Hazael R. (2023). Design of multi-layered protection against guided mortar threats through numerical modeling. Defence Technology, 29(Propellants, Explosives and Pyrotechnics. 11 1 1986)
- Thawani B, Batchelor T, Painter J, Hazael R & Critchley R. (2023). Multi-impact response of CR4 mild steel: Characterising the transition from absorption to failure. Engineering Research Express, 5(1)
- Read J, Hazael R & Critchley R. (2023). Penetration performance of protective materials from crossbow attack: a preliminary study. Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology, 20(1)
- Thawani B, Hazael R & Critchley R. (2023). Assessing the pressure losses during hydrogen transport in the current natural gas infrastructure using numerical modelling. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 48(88)
- Read J, Ritchie T, Brown L, Thawani B, Bloodworth-Race S, .... (2023). Quantification of fragmentation capture materials and an assessment of the viability of economical alternatives: a preliminary study. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 381(2259)
- Read J, Hazael R & Critchley R. (2022). Soft tissue simulants for survivability assessment—a sustainability focussed review. Applied Sciences, 12(10)
- Critchley R, Smy V, Corni I, Wharton JA, Walsh FC, .... (2021). Author Correction: Experimental and computation assessment of thermomechanical effects during auxetic foam fabrication. Scientific Reports, 11(1)
- Malbon C, Knock C, Critchley R & Carr DJ. (2021). The effect of underwired and sports bras on breast shape, key anthropometric dimensions, and body armour comfort. The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles, 95(3)
- Bloodworth-Race S, Critchley R, Hazael R, Peare A & Temple TJ. (2021). Testing the blast response of foam inserts for helmets. Heliyon, 7(5)
- Thawani B, Hazael R & Critchley R. (2021). Numerical modelling study of a modified sandbag system for ballistic protection. Journal of Computational Science, 53(July)
- Critchley R, Hazael R, Bhatti K, Wood DC, Peare A, .... (2021). Blast mitigation using polymeric 3D printed auxetic lattice structures - a preliminary study. International Journal of Protective Structures, 13(3)
- Critchley R, Smy V, Corni I, Wharton JA, Walsh FC, .... (2020). Experimental and computation assessment of thermomechanical effects during auxetic foam fabrication. Scientific Reports, 10(1)
- May B, Critchley R, Carr DJ, Peare A & Dowen K. (2020). Ballistic protective properties of materials representative of English civil war buff-coats and clothing. International Journal of Legal Medicine, 134(5)
- Stevenson T, Carr DJ, Harrison K, Critchley R, Gibb IE, .... (2020). Ballistic research techniques: visualizing gunshot wounding patterns. International Journal of Legal Medicine, 134(3)
- Critchley R, Standbridge K-M & Peare A. (2020). The effects of crossbow impacts onto a common automotive vehicle side window – a preliminary study. International Journal of Legal Medicine, 134(4)
- Rao P, Painter J, Appleby-Thomas GJ, Critchley R, Wood DC, .... (2020). Fragmentation studies by non-explosive cylinder expansion technique. International Journal of Impact Engineering, 146
- Arifurrahman F & Critchley R. (2020). Experimental and numerical study of auxetic sandwich panels on 160 grams of PE4 blast loading. Journal of Sandwich Structures & Materials, 23(8)
- da Silva LA, Johnson S, Critchley R, Clements J, Norris K, .... (2019). Experimental fragmentation of pipe bombs with varying case thickness. Forensic Science International, 306
- Malbon C, Knock C, Critchley R & Carr DJ. (2019). The effect of breast size and bra type on comfort for UK female police officers wearing body armour. Applied Ergonomics, 84
- Bockmuehl CR, Tomkins N, Keiding J, Critchley R, Peare A, .... (2019). Woven fabrics in book conservation: an investigation into the properties of aerolinen and aerocotton. Studies in Conservation, 65(7)
- Dodd S, Malbon C, Critchley R, Lankester C, O’Rourke S, .... (2018). Effects of salt water on the ballistic protective performance of bullet-resistant body armour. The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles, 92(3)
- Critchley R, Peare A & Sheldon B. (2018). Scaled simulation of the blast effects on structures using lego blocks: a pilot study.
- Critchley R, Corni I, Wharton JA, Walsh FC, Wood RJK, .... (2013). A review of the manufacture, mechanical properties and potential applications of auxetic foams. physica status solidi (b), 250(10)
- Critchley R, Corni I, Wharton JA, Walsh FC, Wood RJK, .... (2013). The Preparation of Auxetic Foams by Three‐
D imensional Printing and Their Characteristics. Advanced Engineering Materials, 15(10)
Conference Papers
- Masoudi A, Lee T, Beresna M, Critchley R, Brambilla G, .... (2025). Shock wave overpressure history mapping using high-resolution distributed acoustic sensing
- Alford R, Hazael R & Critchley R. (2024). An experimental method of determining explosive equivalency when scaled distance approaches zero
- Brown L, Critchley R, Hewins K & Hazael R. (2023). INVESTIGATING THE USE OF NATURAL FIBRES IN PROTECTIVE HARD ARMOUR FOR THE DEMINING INDUSTRY
- Alford R, Hazael R & Critchley R. (2023). Modular ballistic pendulum for measurement of impulse from tamped explosives
- CRITCHLEY R, PINTO R & MALBON C. (2017). An Investigation into the Blast Effects on Civilian Personnel Protective Armour
Books
- Bruton K, Hazael R, Critchley R & Bloodworth-Race S. (2022). Lignocellulosic Natural Fibers in Polymer Composite Materials: Benefits, Challenges and Applications In Hashmi MSJ(ed.), Encyclopedia of Materials: Plastics and Polymers (3). Elsevier.
- Roberts L, Critchley R, Salberg D, Bloodworth-Race S & Hazael R. (2022). Development of a risk matrix for low-cost engineering solutions: a systematic approach In Temple TJ & Ladyman MK (eds), Challenges in Risk Analysis for Science and Engineering. IOP Publishing.
- Thawani B, Critchley R & Hazael R. (2022). Influence of automation on human factor integration in Risk Assessment systems In Temple TJ & Ladyman MK (eds), Challenges in Risk Analysis for Science and Engineering. IOP Publishing.
- Bruton K, Hazael R, Critchley R & Bloodworth-Race S. (2022). Lignocellulosic Natural Fibers in Polymer Composite Materials: Benefits, Challenges and Applications In Encyclopedia of Materials Plastics and Polymers (1-4). Elsevier.
