ME 453
STRUCTURE AND MECHANICS LABORATORY

Course Description

Techniques for measurement of structural response and material properties. Proper use of rosette strain gauges, load cells, and displacement transducers. Full-field strain measurement using photoelasticity and digital image correlation. Proper implementation of material testing standards. Characterization of anisotropic composite materials.

Topics

• Review of anisotropic linear elastic solid mechanics
  
• Introduction to full-field strain measurement methods
  
• Full-Field strain measurement by Digital Image Correlation
  
• Full-Field strain measurement by Photoelasticity  
  
• Methods of comparison of experiment and analytical results
  
• Introduction to advanced material property measurement and methods
  
• Measurement of elastic constants in Anisotropic Fiber Composites
  
• Measurement of elastic constants with Ultrasound
  
• Material property statistical analysis and parametric sensitivity
  
• Review and test administration  

Learning Outcomes

The student, upon completion of this course, will be able to:

• Understand the capabilities of contemporary instrumentation for the measurement of strain, force, and displacement
  
• Make appropriate selections for the type and specifications of material testing equipment.
  
• Select appropriate materials testing standards, and understand the reasons behind test requirements.
  
• Perform advanced data analysis techniques for parameter estimation and measurement accuracy characterizations.
  
• Understand techniques for the measurement of full field strains, including component equipment specifications
• Learn techniques for efficient preparation of professional-quality written reports on laboratory experiments.