Symposiums

View the Final Program______________________________________________________________________________

The Conference schedule consists of eight symposia based on a range of topics. Each day attendees will collaborate on issues facing construction and operation in challenging environments, space exploration, and sustainable development on Earth, in space, and other planetary bodies.

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Symposium 1: 5th NASA/ASCE Workshop on Granular Materials in Space Exploration

Co-Chair: Juan Agui, Ph.D., M.ASCE, NASA Glenn Research Center

Co-Chair: Phil Metzger, Ph.D., M.ASCE, Kennedy Space Center

Planetary regolith (soil) plays a central role in solar system exploration. The granular nature of planetary regolith raises fundamental questions about the properties and flow behavior of these materials, while posing challenges to its utilization. With a firm fundamental basis, reliable and efficient methods can be developed to land, drive, excavate, and construct on planetary regolith. We will study the geological and physical features of planetary regolith to unravel the history of our solar system and to pursue its future exploration.

Topics include: Regolith Mechanics; Terramechanics; Cratering and Plume Flows; Granular Flows; Geotechnical Properties; Lunar, Martian,and Asteroid Dust; Lunar, Martian, and Asteroid Soil/Regolith Simulants; Modeling of Regolith Mechanics, Particle Properties of Extraterrestrial Soil and Dust; and many others.

Symposium 2: Exploration and Utilization of Extraterrestrial Bodies

Co-Chair: Robert Mueller, M.ASCE NASA Kennedy Space Center

Co-Chair: Kris Zacny, Ph.D., M.ASCE, Honeybee Robotics

The symposium on "'Exploration and Utilization of Extraterrestrial Bodies" will be focused on methodologies, techniques, instruments, concepts and system level designs associated with robotic and human exploration of the Moon, Mars, Near Earth Asteroids and other planetary bodies. The majority of speakers will represent NASA, academia, Department of Defense, and industry, and we will learn of developments across both oceans - overseas speakers will come from Europe (ESA), Japan (JAXA), Korea, China, and India. There will be 12 sessions with up to six presentations per session.

Topics include: * Planetary Drilling and Regolith Excavation * Regolith Operations * Sub-Surface Access * Sample Handling and Processing Technologies * Mobility and Robotics Systems * Planetary Analogs, Engineering and Science in Earth Extreme Regions * Extra-Terrestrial and Extreme Terrestrial Civil Engineering and Construction * Geotechnical Properties of Planetary & Extra-terrestrial Regolith

* Surface Site Preparation * Surface Stabilization * Dust Mitigation * Low Gravity Anchoring Devices and Techniques * In-Situ Instrumentation, Sensors, Site Mapping and Prospecting * Planetary Mechanisms Driven by Electro-active Actuation Materials * Space Commercialization, Policy and Law * Future Missions and Mission Concepts, and Related Surface Mission Architectures * Space Transportation Systems * Human Exploration and Development of Space * In-Situ Resource Utilization and Development * In-Situ Manufacturing * Life Support Systems * Surface Habitation Systems * Remote Sensing Technologies * Technologies Supporting Space Exploration * Communications and Navigation * Other

Symposium 3: Mechanics of Advanced Materials and Structures

Co-Chair: Jifeng Xu, Ph.D., M.ASCE, Beijing Aeronautical Science and Technology Research Institute (BASTRI), China

Co-Chair: Pizhong Qiao, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, Washington State University/Hohai University, China

 

General mechanics of composite, smart, and new materials is considered to address the behavior, analysis, and design aspects. New techniques in experimental, computational and analytical mechanics of advanced materials are focused. The broad topics include novel new structural components and systems, structural health monitoring, nanomechanics, and impact mechanics of composites.

Topics include: General mechanics of composite, smart and new materials, such as stability, dynamics, fracture, multiscale modeling, impact, new computational methods, experimental characterization, nano/micromechanics, durability, failure, etc.; emerging and new materials and their design, analysis and optimization; novel new structural components and systems; structural health monitoring.

Symposium 4: Hydraulic and Earth Structures

Chair: Pizhong Qiao, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, Washington State University/Hohai University, China

The symposium addresses the "earth" aspect of the conference with focus on large earth and hydraulic structures. In particular, a significant amount of papers are in the area of hydraulic engineering. Safety and health monitoring of hydraulic structures and high performance concrete materials are emphasized.

Topics include: Hydraulic structures; dam engineering; geotechnical engineering; large earth structures; high performance materials and structures; structural safety; structural health monitoring and inspection; wireless and remote sensing; forensic engineering in structures; earthquake engineering; disaster and hazard mitigation and management; virtual and computer simulations.

Symposium 5: New Development and Challenging Issues in 21st Century Engineering Education in Dynamics, Controls, and Structures

Co-Chair: Gangbing Song, Ph.D., A.M.ASCE, University of Houston

Co-Chair: Xuemin Chen, Ph.D., A.M.ASCE, Texas Southern University

Emerging technologies, such as the Internet, have provided additional tools for engineering education. This symposium will provide a unique opportunity for educators and researchers to discuss the current challenging issues in engineering education and how to use emerging technology to improve engineering education, especially in the areas of Dynamics, Controls, and Structures.

Topics include: Active and Cooperative Learning, Assessment in Engineering Education, Building Community in Engineering Education, Collaboration Between Engineering and Education, Ethics in Engineering Education, Faculty Development in Engineering Education and Research, Online Engineering Education, Remote Experiment, Innovative Engineering Education System and Research, University-industry Joint Programs, Undergraduate Curriculum Reform

Symposium 6: Ballistic Impact and Crashworthiness Response of Aerospace Structures

Co-Chair: Wieslaw Binienda, Ph.D., F. ASCE, University of Akron

Co-Chair: Robert Goldberg, Ph.D., A.M. ASCE, NASA Glenn Research Center

 

The symposium on Ballistic Impact and Crashworthiness Analysis of Aerospace Structures will offer an exciting combination of fundamental studies and practical applications of the subject technology by government and industry. Experimental and numerical techniques to analyze the impact and crash response of metallic, polymer matrix composite, and ceramic matrix composite structures for aeronautic and space applications will be presented. The presenters of the papers in the symposium will represent a number of universities, NASA Glenn and NASA Langley Research Centers, and software development companies.

Topics include: Impact, Finite Element Analysis, Composite Materials, Ballistic Testing, Split Hopkinson Bar, Strain Rate, Crashworthiness, Fan Containment

 

Symposium 7: Sensors and Structures in Challenging Environments

Chair: Ramesh B. Malla, Ph.D., M. ASCE, University of Connecticut

This symposium is comprised of papers that encompass a broad range of topics in two important technical areas, one dealing with the intelligent applications of sensors and the other innovative techniques/methodologies to determine response and behavior of structures in challenging environments. Integration of sensors into structural and material systems enables more effective performance and also allows space and terrestrial systems to be remotely evaluated and controlled. Papers will be presented on sensors including optical, acoustic, piezoelectric, wireless, GPS, remote sensing, and more. Design and analysis of structures in challenging environments, whether on earth, in space, or on other planetary bodies (e.g. moon and Mars), need special care. In particular, the space (including orbital, lunar and Martian) environments present many challenges including radiation exposure, micro/reduced gravity, meteorite impact, lack of atmosphere (hard vacuum), debris impact, and temperature extremes. Overcoming these significant challenges is imperative to the success of structures in space. Papers in the symposium present new methodologies for structural analysis, tracking, and controls of structures such as satellites and lunar structures.

Topics include: Smart and Intelligent Structures,Nanomaterial-based and Biologrically Inspired Sensors, Actuators, and Structures; Fiber Optic and Piezeoelectric-based Sensors, Shape Memory Alloy Actuators, Structural Vibration Control via Active and Semi-Active Approaches; Structural Health Monitoring; Dynamics and Controls; Modeling of Intelligent Structures; Tracking and Control of Structures in Challenging Environments; Innovative Techniques/Methodologies of Design and Analysis of Structures; Structures in Extreme Environments on Earth, in Space, and on the Moon and Mars.

Symposium 8:”Vision Theme” in Aerospace Engineering

Chair: Ahmed K. Noor, P.E., F.ASCE, Old Dominion University

The symposium will focus on advanced concepts for future human and robotic space exploration. The topics covered include NASA's human spaceflight architecture and Mars activities; plans for human and robotic exploration of small solar system bodies; lunar settlement design and infrastructure; lunabotics mining competition; and concurrent engineering applications for extreme environments

 

Topics include: Future Learning Environment, Learnscapes, Ambient Intelligence Environment, Smart wireless devices, Visual Simulation, Immersive Virtual World Scenarios for inhabiting the solar system, Remote space exploration using multiuser synthetic environments and augmented reality technologies, Future Authentic learning using Intelligent Aerospace Ecosystem