Third International Conference on Computational Methods and Experiments in Materials Characterisation

 Overview

The Third International Conference on Computational Methods and Experiments in Materials Characterisation (Materials Characterisation 07) recently took place in Bologna, organised by the University of New Mexico – represented by Professor Andrea Mammoli – and the Wessex Institute of Technology – represented by Professor Carlos Brebbia – both of whom are co-editors of the Conference Proceedings.  

In an age of dwindling resources, knowledge of the behaviour of materials takes on an even more important role that was traditionally the case.  Not only must a material perform its basic function, but it must also do so while satisfying constraints given by ecology, economy, safety and durability.  

Alongside the science of traditional materials, new areas are emerging.  On a very small scale, materials are being engineered down to their very microstructure, sometimes even their molecular structure.  These materials promise exceptional performance, however it becomes increasingly difficult to characterize their structure and behaviour with traditional methods.  In many cases, characterization occurs by indirect means, requiring a computer model to interpret the measurement data to finally recover the material properties sought.  

The second recent trend in materials science is the resurgence of traditional and natural materials, sometimes in combination with more ‘conventional’ ones, as in the case of natural fibre reinforced composites.  These pose particular challenges, as their microstructure and properties can be even more complex than in synthetic materials

 Opening Address

Professor Brebbia also mentioned some of the activities of WIT in the field of material studies and the objectives of the Institute.  WIT, Professor Brebbia explained, aims to be a forum for the transfer of knowledge and in particular, to build a bridge between partners, and academic and other researchers.  More recently the Institute has become involved in a series of interdisciplinary projects, with many other partners, some of them in areas other than engineering and physical sciences.  These developments, partly forced on all of us by research funding bodies, are very welcome as many problems require an integral approach involving, in many cases, social and political scientists as well as economists and others.  

WIT is a partner in different projects, some of them supported by the EU, which aim to provide solutions to important environmental problems.  Some are related to pollution, others to food sciences, pharmaceutical contamination, effect of climate change and others.  These projects are a valuable addition, Professor Brebbia said, to the more traditional engineering research work which continues to be carried out at WIT.  

Professor Brebbia ended his welcome by referring to the success of the eLibrary which, under the title of “Transactions of the Wessex Institute” contains all the papers presented at WIT conferences since 1993.  As a result of the work carried out in the last two years (since Materials Characterization 05) the number of downloads of abstracts and papers has grown to approximately 200,000 per year.  This reflects the high regard that the international community has for WIT conference material and will ensure that the work presented at conferences such as this will be easily and permanently available to the international scientific community.  

Professor Andrea Mammoli referred to the necessary changes taking place at the University of New Mexico after describing the different activities of the Engineering Faculty.  The new objectives, however, are to address the challenge of sustainability by changing the curriculum, the way we do research and the type of research the University is carrying out.  Targets have been set for the use of energy within the Campus for instance.  The University is very much aware of the need to look into energy saving and finding new sources of energy.  The growing challenge is to involve industry and change the culture, taking a leadership role towards a common goal.  

Materials Characterisation has an important role to play in our quest for sustainability. In this process, we need to become more involved with industry, many of which are very much aware of the advantages of producing more energy efficient and longer lasting materials.

 Conference Topics

The Conference papers addressed a wide range of topics:  

• Papers focusing on the materials and their microstructures
• Papers focusing on experimental characterisation techniques
• Papers focusing on computational methods

 Structure of Book

The headings of the different structures in the book were as follows:  

Microstructures

• Novel composite materials
• Ceramics and advanced materials
• Alloys
• Cements and cement-based materials
  

Experimental Methods

• Imaging and analysis
• Thermal analysis
• Materials characterisation and testing
• New methods
  

Computational Methods

• Discrete computational methods
• Damage mechanics
• Innovative techniques

 Keynote Addresses

Several keynote addresses helped to enhance the conference.  They were:  

• “Multi-scale foam behaviour characterisation”, by P Viot, LAMEFIP, ENSAM ( Bordeaux), France
• “Seismic damage assessment of steel components”, by A Benavent-Climent, University of Granada, Spain
• “Back analysis of reinforced soil slopes”, by P Prochazka, Czech Technical University
• “Towards 3D simulation of sintering processes”, by S Bordère, ICMCB-CNRS, France

 Conference Dinner

The conference banquet took place in the Restaurant I Carracci, reputed to be the best in Bologna.  The Restaurant is housed in an old renaissance Palazzo, famous for a room with frescos by the two Carracci brothers, who created in internationally renowned School of Paintings in Bologna.  Before starting dinner, the participants were offered a piano recital by Pier Paolo Strona, who has played in other WIT conferences.  The programme included pieces by Chopin, Bach, Schubert and Mendelssohn.  Professor Brebbia then offered the delegates a copy of a CD published by WIT Press containing a number of pieces played by Pier Paolo Strona during WIT events.

The dinner consisted of typical Bolognese dishes and good Italian wines.  At the end of the dinner, Professor Brebbia made a short speech and referred to the outstanding achievement of his Co-Chairman, Professor Andrea Mammoli, who has collaborated with Wessex Institute since visiting the New Forest for the first time in 1993.  This collaboration, which has resulted in several joint initiatives, has been most successful.  Professor Brebbia described some of the achievements of Professor Mammoli and proceeded to award him the Eminent Scientist Medal of the Wessex Institute, a distinction which is usually given once or twice a year to the most prominent scientists.  Professor Brebbia closed the event by describing to the participants his passion for Patagonia, an area still largely unknown by the rest of the world. He gave each participant a copy of his most recent book “ Patagonia, a forgotten land” and was delighted to be asked to dedicate and sign most of them.

 ISAC Meeting

The International Scientific Advisory Committee (ISAC) met over dinner to discuss the conference and reconvening it in 2009.

 Publication of Papers

The Proceedings of Computational Methods and Experiments in Materials Characterisation III, 464 pp (ISBN: 1-84564-080-4) are available in hard back from WIT Press priced at £155/US$290/€232.50. Orders can be placed by telephone: +44 (0) 238 029 3223, fax: +44 (0) 238 029 2853, e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or via the WIT Press web site at www.witpress.com.  

Papers from the conference will also be hosted online at the WIT eLibrary as Volume 57 of WIT Transactions on Engineering Sciences (ISSN: 1743-3533). For more details visit the WIT eLibrary at www.witpress.com.  

Patagonia a forgotten land – from Magellan to Peron, by C.A. Brebbia, 384 pp (ISBN 978-1-84564-061-3) is available in hard back from WIT Press, priced at £33/US$59/€49.50.  Orders can be placed as above.