CTA Leader: Dr. Kent Danielson
The Computational Structural Mechanics (CSM) CTA covers the high-resolution multi-dimensional modeling of materials and structures subjected to a broad range of loading conditions including quasi-static, dynamic, electro-magnetic, shock, penetration, and blast. It also includes the highly inter-disciplinary research area of materials design, where multi-scale modeling of different scales from atomistic to macro is essential. CSM encompasses a wide range of engineering problems in solid mechanics such as material or structural response to time- and history-dependent loading, large deformations, fracture propagation, shock wave propagation, isotropic and anisotropic plasticity, frequency response, and nonlinear and heterogeneous material behaviors. High-performance computing for CSM addresses the accurate numerical solution of the conservation equations, equations of motion, equation of states, and constitutive relationships to model simple or complex geometries and material properties, subject to external boundary conditions and loads. CSM is used for basic studies in continuum mechanics, stress analysis for engineering design studies, predicting structural and material response to impulsive loads, and modeling response of heterogeneous sensors/devices-embedded structures. The Department of Defense application areas include conventional underwater explosion and ship response, structural acoustics, coupled field problems, space debris, propulsion systems, structural analysis, total weapon simulation, weapon systems' lethality/survivability (e.g., aircraft, ships, submarines, tanks), theater missile defense lethality analyses, optimization techniques, and real-time, large-scale soldier- and hardware in-the-loop ground vehicle dynamic simulation.