As a reference book, the Springer Handbook provides a comprehensive exposition of the
techniques and tools of experimental mechanics. An introduction to each topic is provided, which advises
the reader on suitable techniques for practical applications. New exciting topics include biological materials,
MEMS and NEMS, nanoindentation, digital photomechanics. Photoacoustic characterization, and atomic force
microscopy in experimental solid mechanics. Written by international experts from top academic institutions
as well as industry from across the globe, the Springer handbook of Experimental Solid Mechanics features an
extensive compilation of useful and up-to-date references. A detailed index and fully searchable DVD are included,
complete with supplementary media.
Abstract of the book chapter (30 pages long)
This chapter addresses various aspects of testing of a structural system. The importance of “the Management Approach” to planning and performing structural tests (ST) is emphasized. When resources are limited, this approach becomes critical to the successful implementation of a testing program. The chapter starts with illustrations on some of the past structures that were built using concepts developed through testing. Most often, these structures were built even before the principles of engineering mechanics were understood. At present, due to the unprecedented expansion of computing power, numerical and experimental techniques are interchangeably used in simulating complex natural phenomena. Despite encouraging results from simulation and predictive modeling, structural testing is still a very valuable tool in the industrial development of product and process, and its success depends on judicious choice of testing method, instrumentation, data acquisition, and allocation of resources. A generic description of the current test equipment and types of measurements is included in this chapter. After careful selection, three case studies were included. The complexity involved with the modeling of structural steel retrieved from the collapse site of the World Trade Center (WTC) under High-Rate and High-Temperature is highlighted in the first case study. The second case study highlights the importance of the planning phase in providing the basis for a manageable and high-quality testing of concrete highway bridges. The final case study details the development of a Lightweight Automobile Airbag from inception through innovation. This case study also illustrates the close ties between structural testing and numerical simulation. The chapter closes with examples of a few future structural systems, highlighting the complexity involved in their testing. (Copy of the chapter is available in http://www.nmt.edu/~ashok.)