INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP: MICRSOSTRUCTURE AND MICROMECHANICS OF STONE BASED INFRASTRUCTURE MATERIALS

Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University, Blacksburg VA

Investigators

Abstract

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP: MICRSOSTRUCTURE AND MICROMECHANICS OF STONE BASED INFRASTRUCTURE MATERIALS In 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.