MRI: Acquisition of a Digital Imaging Correlation System to Advance Research, Training and Education in Engineering

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Through this major research instrumentation grant, a Digital Imaging Correlation (DIC) system, which provides non-contact, full-field 2D or 3D strain or displacement measurements, will be acquired. Such data provides essential knowledge for several scientific and engineering research applications and thus will advance the state-of-the-art in various fields. Faculty members from Mechanical, Ocean, Civil, Electrical and Materials Engineering will use the system to conduct experiments under both quasi-static and high deformation rates and at multiple size scales, from the macroscale to the nanoscale through the integration of the system with a Scanning Electron Microscope or an Atomic Force Microscope. Through each project, extensive intellectual merits will be created, from characterizing the behavior of various metallic, structural, and biomechanic materials, to structural health monitoring of bridges on U.S. roadways, to evaluating deformation at the micro- and nanoscales. The projects combine both fundamental and applied research approaches to advance the current knowledge base in the given fields. Several broader impacts will be created through this grant. First, graduate and undergraduate research students will be trained on and use this advanced equipment. Furthermore, the results from projects and the DIC system will be incorporated into several engineering courses from various disciplines. Graduate courses on quantitative image visualization and non-destructive testing are planned. As a shared instrument between several engineering departments, the DIC system will promote interactions amongst faculty members and students with respect to both research and teaching. The societal benefits from the various research efforts are eclectic from increasing whale populations, to assisting surgeons with large vessel sealing during surgeries, to enhancing the ability of disabled individuals to communicate. Finally, women faculty members and Research Experience for Teacher participants from minority high schools will attempt to address diversity issues in engineering through outreach activities which focus on this equipment.