The philosophy of the Structural and Solid Mechanics (SSM) Program is that the fundamental study of the physics and mechanics of solids provides the basis for understanding, predicting and improving the behavior of engineered structures. We believe that successful structural design and engineering cannot proceed without a strong foundation in solid mechanics. The solid mechanics concepts that form the foundation of the program are applicable to a broad range of applications that encompass all size-scales and types of structures. (For example, the solid mechanics fundamentals needed to design the flexible roof of an inflated stadium are the same as those needed to describe bacterial cell walls or thin film sensors.) The SSM program focuses on the relationships connecting two areas of this broader picture: the mechanics of materials and structural performance. Understanding the connections between material properties and structural response enables new approaches to designing more reliable systems, including infrastructure and aerospace components, microelectronics, biomechanical systems, etc.

In this context, the program is supported by faculty with expertise and interests in: material behavior (notably micro-mechanics, continuum mechanics , and nano-scale modeling), component performance and reliability (including dynamics, stochastic and probabilistic analysis), and structural design. The unifying theme that connects these areas and sets the current direction for the program is the study of material and structural behaviors that encompass multiple length-scales. Research into behavior at the molecular scale provides unique insight to behavior at the microscale, which in turn affects macroscopic response; such multi-scale interactions occur in all sub-disciplines in solid mechanics, including material response, dynamics and reliability. The emphasis of the group is on multiscale models and experiments that provide the physical and mathematical foundations to develop predictive capabilities and effectively design complex structural systems

At the undergraduate level, this vision is incorporated into the undergraduate curriculum by a strong foundation of courses on the fundamental aspects of material and structural response. The SSM faculty have the primary responsibility for more than ten undergraduate mechanics courses that support not only the interests of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, but those of other departments as well (e.g. statics, dynamics, mechanics of materials, etc.) We are currently in the process of updating and streamlining the curriculum to reflect emerging interests in new structural materials and design perspectives. We envision a dynamic curriculum that focuses on connections between material behavior and structural performance, and the use of those connections to produce reliable designs for civil infrastructure as well as other engineering applications. The desire to identify theoretical and experimental frameworks that link material response and structural performance forms the basis of the graduate program as well; this program is also currently being updated and modernized. Significant strides are being made towards strengthening the core curriculum of solid and structural mechanics by updating course contents to highlight their relevance to emerging technologies. We envision the continued development of an interdisciplinary curriculum that facilitates interactions with SEAS colleagues, notably those in Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Biomedical Engineering.

Research
Areas of faculty research interest include:

Analytical and Computational Mechanics
* Mathematical modeling of functionally graded and smart materials
* Probabilistic Structural Mechanics
* Multiscale material models
* Stress analysis of layered media

Mechanics of Advanced Materials
* Micromechanics of multiphase and functionally graded materials
* Microstructural tailoring and optimization
* Large deformation of rubber-like materials
* Thermomechanical response of nanostructural polymers

Structural Analysis and Design
* Reliability of structural components and systems
* Transient and Random Response in Structural Dynamics
* Vehicle-structure interaction
* Field testing and instrumentation of bridges
* Vibration Mitigation Techniques

Master of Engineering by Videoconferencing through the University of Virginia Commonwealth Graduate Engineering Program

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