Publications
Report on the SNL/NSF International Workshop on Joint Mechanics, Arlington, Virginia, 16-18 October 2006
The NSF/SNL joint mechanics workshop, held in Arlington, Virginia, 16-18 October, 2006, attempted to assess the current state of the art for modeling joint mechanics for the purpose of structural dynamics calculation, to identify the underlying physics issues that must be addressed to advance the field, and to propose a path forward. Distinguished participants from several countries representing research communities that focus on very different length and time scales identified multiple challenges in bridging those scales. Additionally, two complementary points of view were developed for addressing those challenges. The first approach - the 'bottom-up' perspective - attempts to bridge scales by starting from the smallest length scale and working up. The other approach starts at the length scale of application and attempts to deduce mechanics at smaller length scales through reconciliation with laboratory observation. Because interface physics is a limiting element of predictive simulation in defense and transportation, this issue will be of continuing importance for the foreseeable future.