INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP: MICRSOSTRUCTURE AND MICROMECHANICS OF STONE BASED INFRASTRUCTURE MATERIALS

石基基础设施材料的微观结构和微观力学在人类社会的演变中，包括矿物水泥混凝土和沥青混凝土在内的石基基础设施材料发挥了重要作用。以石头为基础的基础设施材料相对便宜，然而，它们的大量使用对任何国家的经济和环境都构成了巨大的影响：一美元节省一分钱，每年节省数十亿美元。石基材料的材料结构相似，都是由石骨架、粘结介质、填料和空隙组成。沥青混凝土与矿物水泥混凝土由于粘结介质的不同，性能有显著差异；然而，由于共同的石骨架结构，这些材料在另一方面表现出相似的行为。然而，这些材料在历史上是由不同的小组分别研究的。在过去的几年里，实验表征技术，如x射线计算机断层扫描，离散和连续建模技术，有限元方法和离散单元方法，以及高性能计算，使得石基材料的行为可以通过计算模拟而不是实验表征。这节省了大量的设备、材料和人力成本。随着这些进展，石基材料的研究可以统一实验、建模和计算仿真。本次研讨会的目标是：在不同专业领域的科学家和工程师之间建立沟通渠道，以分享石基基础设施材料的微观结构表征、微观力学建模、计算模拟和可视化方面的最新发展。在国家和国际层面协调研究工作和有效利用资源，包括硬件和软件。预期将通过这次讲习班发起一个关于这一领域综合研究和教育的国际社会。鼓励大学、工业和政府机构之间进行新的合作研究努力，以确定和消除沿着这一方向进行研究的共同技术障碍。推动国内外大规模材料性能模拟与实验研究。促进与这些领域有关的新的国内和国际教育合作。研讨会确定的主题包括但不限于：a)微观结构表征技术；B)离散和连续建模技术；C)计算模拟与可视化；D)两种材料在建模和表征方面的异同；E)国内和国际合作的研究方向。为期两天的研讨会将在弗吉尼亚理工大学举行，包括五场关于两种材料研究现状的主题演讲，参与者的演讲，以及关于研究方向和合作的讨论。预计来自美国的25名与会者和来自其他国家的约20名与会者将参加本次研讨会。在选择美国代表时，将充分考虑代表性不足群体的代表。智力上的影响包括建立一个理性的基础，建立在每个单独研究领域内开发的集体专业知识的基础上，以表征石基基础设施材料的结构和力学；最终实现高性能材料的设计。更广泛的影响包括改善下一代研究人员和从业人员的教育基础，这反过来将促进改进设计、建造和维护，同时节省成本。

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP: MICRSOSTRUCTURE AND MICROMECHANICS OF STONE BASED INFRASTRUCTURE MATERIALSIn the evolution of human society stone-based infrastructure materials including mineral cement concrete and asphalt concrete have played an important role. Stone-based infrastructure materials are relatively inexpensive, however, their large quantity in use constitutes a great impact on the economy and environment of any nation: saving even a cent out of a dollar amounts to saving billions of dollars every year. Stone-based materials are similar in their materials structure, which consists of a stone skeleton, a binding medium, fillers and air voids. Due to different binding media, asphalt concrete, and mineral cement concrete have significantly different properties; however, due to the common stone skeleton structure, these materials demonstrate similar behavior on the other hand. Nevertheless, these materials have historically been studied separately by different groups. In the last few years, experimental characterization techniques such as X-ray Computed Tomography, discrete and continuum modeling techniques, Finite Element Method and Discrete Element Method, and high performance computation have allowed the behavior of stone-based materials be computationally simulated rather than experimentally characterized. This has lead to saving tremendous costs for equipment, materials and manpower. With these advances, research in stone-based materials can be unified in experimentation, modeling and computational simulation. The objectives of this workshop are: To establish channels of communication among scientists and engineers in different areas of specialization in order to share the most recent developments in microstructure characterization, micromechanics modeling, and computational simulation and visualization of stone-based infrastructure materials. To coordinate research efforts and efficient utilization of resources including hardware and software at the national and international level. It is anticipated that an international community on integrated research and education in this field will be initiated through this workshop. To encourage new cooperative research efforts among universities, industries and governmental agencies for identifying and removing common technical barriers in research along this orientation. To promote research on large-scale simulation of material behavior and experimentation at the national and international level. To prompt new national and international collaboration in education related to these areas.Theme topics identified for the workshop include but are not limited to a) microstructure characterization techniques; b)discrete and continuum modeling techniques; c) computational simulation and visualization; d) similarities and dissimilarities in modeling and characterization of the two materials; e) research orientations for both national and international collaborations. The two-day workshop to be held at Virginia Tech will consist of five keynote speeches on the state of the art of research across the two materials, presentations by participants, and discussions on research orientation and collaborations. It is anticipated that twenty-five participants from the US and about twenty from other nations will attend this workshop. In selecting the US participants, participants from underrepresented groups will be given thorough consideration. The intellectual impacts include establishing a rational foundation, built upon the collective expertise developed within each of the individual research domains, for the characterization of the structure and mechanics of stone-based infrastructure materials; ultimately enabling the design of high performance materials. The broader impacts include an improved basis for education of the next generation of researchers and practitioners, which in turn will prompt improved design, construction, and maintenance with concomitant cost-savings.