This Festschrift is dedicated to Professor Dr.-Ing. habil. Peter Wriggers on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Thanks to his high dedication to research, over the years Peter Wriggers has built an international network with renowned experts in the field of computational mechanics. This is proven by the large number of contributions from friends and collaborators as well as former PhD students from all over the world. The diversity of Peter Wriggers network is mirrored by the range of topics that are covered by this book. To name only a few, these include contact mechanics, finite & virtual element technologies, micromechanics, multiscale approaches, fracture mechanics, isogeometric analysis, stochastic methods, meshfree and particle methods. Applications of numerical simulation to specific problems, e.g. Biomechanics and Additive Manufacturing is also covered. The volume intends to present an overview of the state of the art and current trends in computational mechanics for academia and industry.

Computational fluid-structure interaction (FSI) and flow simulation are challenging research areas that bring solution and analysis to many classes of problems in science, engineering, and technology. Young investigators under the age of 40 are conducting much of the frontier research in these areas, some of which is highlighted in this volume. The first author of each chapter took the lead role in carrying out the research presented. Some of the topics explored include Direct flow simulation of objects represented by point clouds Computational investigation of leaflet flutter in thinner biological heart valve tissues High-fidelity simulation of hydrokinetic energy applications High-resolution isogeometric analysis of car and tire aerodynamics Computational analysis of air-blast-structure interaction Heart valve computational flow analysis with boundary layer and leaflet contact representation Computational thermal multi-phase flow for metal additive manufacturing This volume will be a valuable resource for early-career researchers and students — not only those interested in computational FSI and flow simulation, but also other fields of engineering and science, including fluid mechanics, solid mechanics, and computational mathematics – as it will provide them with inspiration and guidance for conducting their own successful research. It will also be of interest to senior researchers looking to learn more about successful research led by those under 40 and possibly offer collaboration to these researchers.

This book provides a comprehensive treatment of the virtual element method (VEM) for engineering applications, focusing on its application in solid mechanics. Starting with a continuum mechanics background, the book establishes the necessary foundation for understanding the subsequent chapters. It then delves into the VEM's Ansatz functions and projection techniques, both for solids and the Poisson equation, which are fundamental to the method. The book explores the virtual element formulation for elasticity problems, offering insights into its advantages and capabilities. Moving beyond elasticity, the VEM is extended to problems in dynamics, enabling the analysis of dynamic systems with accuracy and efficiency. The book also covers the virtual element formulation for finite plasticity, providing a framework for simulating the behavior of materials undergoing plastic deformation. Furthermore, the VEM is applied to thermo-mechanical problems, where it allows for the investigation of coupled thermal and mechanical effects. The book dedicates a significant portion to the virtual elements for fracture processes, presenting techniques to model and analyze fractures in engineering structures. It also addresses contact problems, showcasing the VEM's effectiveness in dealing with contact phenomena. The virtual element method's versatility is further demonstrated through its application in homogenization, offering a means to understand the effective behavior of composite materials and heterogeneous structures. Finally, the book concludes with the virtual elements for beams and plates, exploring their application in these specific structural elements. Throughout the book, the authors emphasize the advantages of the virtual element method over traditional finite element discretization schemes, highlighting its accuracy, flexibility, and computational efficiency in various engineering contexts.

Proposed in the early 1990s, the enhanced assumed strain (EAS) method is one of the probably most successful mixed finite element methods for solid mechanics. This cumulative dissertation gives a comprehensive overview of previous publications on that method and covers recent improvements for EAS elements. In particular, we describe three key issues of standard EAS elements and develop corresponding solutions.

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has drawn significant attention with respect to its applications in several scientific fields, varying from big data handling to medical diagnosis. A tremendous transformation has taken place with the emerging application of AI. AI can provide a wide range of solutions to address many challenges in civil engineering. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Techniques for Civil Engineering highlights the latest technologies and applications of AI in structural engineering, transportation engineering, geotechnical engineering, and more. It features a collection of innovative research on the methods and implementation of AI and machine learning in multiple facets of civil engineering. Covering topics such as damage inspection, safety risk management, and information modeling, this premier reference source is an essential resource for engineers, government officials, business leaders and executives, construction managers, students and faculty of higher education, librarians, researchers, and academicians.

Computational mechanics is a scientific discipline that marries physics, computers, and mathematics to emulate natural physical phenomena. It is a technology that allows scientists to study and predict the performance of various productsâ€"important for research and development in the industrialized world. This book describes current trends and future research directions in computational mechanics in areas where gaps exist in current knowledge and where major advances are crucial to continued technological developments in the United States.