Contact and Interface Mechanics for Engineering Structures

In this course, the students will learn the history of contact mechanics, and its relevance for different fields of modern structural engineering, followed by a basic discussion of fundamental aspects of contact mechanics.

Then numerical modeling of contact mechanics will be discussed, taking material properties into account, via the Finite Element Method (FEM) and the Boundary Element Method (BEM).

Next, the focus will shift to contact applications in structural engineering. For transport infrastructures, tire-pavement and wheel-rail interaction will be covered in depth. Aspects like surface conditions, degradation, noise will come into the picture and an experimental study with lab test-rig and deformable tire contact footprint will be presented.

Applications in the fields of civil engineering structures such as concrete, steel and composite structures are presented.

Finally, the remaining time in this course is used to work on a group assignment. This group assignment includes giving a presentation about the work done.

Handout; Classroom interactions

Assignment 100%: group report and presentations of group report; individual knowledge will be checked during the presentation

A successful participation requires a minimum grade of 5.8.

For more information on grading, see article 14 in the Rules and Guidelines (RGBE):

https://www.tudelft.nl/en/student/ceg-student-portal/education/education-information/educational-rules-and-regulations

Permitted Materials during Exam

N/A