MRI/RUI Acquisition of Instrumentation for Integrated Structural Testing and Digital Image Correlation Laboratory

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Abstract The principal innovation of this proposal is that DIC is envisioned as theprimary strain measuring technique in a large-scale structural testing facility. This non-contacting technique yields a fully quantifiable strain field in two or three dimensions bymanipulating digital images. This emerging technology has not yet been harnessed for thestudy of civil engineering structures.The acquisition of these instruments, when coupled with current renovation of laboratoryspace within the Division of Engineering, will provide a versatile structural testing facility that willsupport a coordinated effort between faculty and students in Civil and EnvironmentalEngineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Mathematics. The diverse, yet well-linked expertiseof the senior personnel enables a broad range of research that includes structural steel, timber,reinforced concrete, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) materials, corrugated paper containers, andthe transient stresses in sport equipment.The structural testing request consists of hydraulic equipment, data acquisitioninstruments, signal conditioning devices, shop tools, and various transducers. The resulting structural testing facility will serve as a blueprint of versatile, cost effective,and nimble laboratory design for other small undergraduate institutions, by building thefacility from industrial components.The pedagogical value of the DIC technique as an aid to visual understanding inscience, mathematics, and engineering will be disseminated through publication andconferences.Initially, the DIC technique will be used in six engineering courses. As new researchareas are explored with the requested facilities, it is anticipated that six additionalengineering courses may benefit.The diverse talents of the research team offer the potential to extend these newtechniques into disciplines outside of engineering.