This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) research and education project addresses a novel interactive visualization development and learning environment for material constitutive relations, referred to as VizCoRe.
Advances in computer and information technology permit engineers to use numerical simulations on a routine basis to support their design work. In geotechnical engineering, numerical simulations are used to study the complex response of soil and rock in urban areas to construction activities. These simulations depend upon the accurate representation of the load-deformation material response of the ground in the form of constitutive equations; concepts that traditionally have been difficult to understand, develop and use, except by a few specialists.
This project initiates a fundamental shift in the current approach by taking advantage of rapid advancements in information technology and computer graphics. It transforms the representation of constitutive relations, as well as stress and strain quantities, from a series of mathematical equations and matrix quantities into multidimensional geometric/visual objects in a dynamic interactive color-rich display environment. Complex mathematical formulations are transformed into visual renderings that are easily understood and manipulated. This environment is being developed as a software workbench that is Internet based, computer platform independent, and easily used on a desktop computer system. It allows multiple users to view and study models in a collaborative environment.
It is an inherently educational project, as it will greatly simplify the use of constitutive relations for both the expert and non-expert user. It can be used to teach a wide audience of students and practicing engineers about constitutive relations and their significance in numerical simulations, using a simple intuitive approach. Its availability on the World Wide Web, and its multi-user features, fosters a collaborative learning environment amongst students and engineers. The project involves collaboration with the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
