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Department Events

Events

• Apr

  3

  SPREE Seminar Series- Toughness of Hydrogels- John Bassani

  McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

  11:00 AM A236, Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILS

  Title: Toughness of Hydrogels

  Abstract: Poroelastic hydrogels display dissipative behavior due to liquid diffusion, and defining fracture toughness is an open issue. Our primary interest is fibrous gels such as cartilage, blood clots, and carbon-nanotube-based sponges with absorbed oils which suffer a reduction in volume by the expulsion of liquid under uniaxial tension, which directly affects crack-tip fields and energy release rates. We have carried out experiments on fibrin gels coupled with a large-deformation continuum model to investigate the initiation of crack growth. The continuum model is formulated for isotropic fibrous gels that exhibit a range of behaviors volume increasing to volume decreasing in uniaxial tension by changing the ratio of two material parameters. The direction of liquid fluxes around cracks is shown to depend on whether the gel locally increases or decreases in volume. The energy release rate for cracks is computed using a surface-independent integral and it is shown to have two contributions — one from the stresses in the solid network, and another from the flow of liquid. The contribution to the integral from liquid permeation tends to be negative when the gel exhibits volume decrease, which effectively is a crack shielding mechanism. Both from correlations with experiments and from simulations based on a critical stretch fracture criterion, we show that both contributions are required to characterize the fracture toughness of these materials. Some historical perspective on fracture toughness of dissipated solids will also be discussed.

  Bio: John L. Bassani received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University in 1973 and worked as a Structural Engineer at Fairchild-Republic Aviation in New York before beginning graduate studies. He received a M.S. in Applied Mechanics from Lehigh University in1975 and Ph.D. in Engineering from Harvard University in 1978 on the mechanics of polycrystalline plasticity. During the next two years, he was a post doc and lecturer and then an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology focusing on the mechanics of high-temperature crack growth. Since 1980 he has been on the faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics at the University of Pennsylvania and has held the Richard H. and S. L. Gabel Professorship since 1993. He was Chair of MEAM for 11 years, from 1997-2005 and 2008-2011. He also holds appointments in Materials Science and Engineering, the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter, and the Institute of Medicine and Engineering at Penn. He has held visiting professor positions at the University of California at Santa Barbara, Harvard University, and Brown University. He is the recipient of the Presidential Young Investigator Award, Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Midwest Mechanics Lecturer, Board of Directors of the Society of Engineering Science and President of SES in 2008, and 2019 American Society of Mechanical Engineers Daniel C. Drucker Medal. He has served on the editorial boards of Modelling and Simulation in Materials Science and Engineering, Interface Science, Journal of Applied Mechanics, and Mechanics of Materials. Professor Bassani’s research interests include: the relationship between properties of discrete and continuous media; interfacial mechanics; formation and properties of nanostructures; adhesion of shells, mechanics of living cells and tissue; plastic deformation of crystals and polycrystals; material stability and localized deformation; mechanics of fracture and fatigue; and material degradation under extreme environments.

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  TIME Wednesday, April 3, 2024 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

  LOCATION A236, Technological Institute    map it

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  CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

• Aug

  14

  Undergraduate Quantum Summer School

  McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

  All Day Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center

  EVENT DETAILSmore info

  Innovation in Quantum Pedagogy, Application, and its Relation to Culture (IQ-PARC), funded by the Department of Defense — National Defense Education Program, is extending an invitation to underrepresented students nationwide (including military-connected students) to participate in a summer school focused on quantum technologies, to be held at Northwestern University. Join us for presentations by faculty and industry partners introducing quantum technologies, cutting-edge research areas, and related job opportunities particularly in the areas of national security.

  This effort aims to foster an inclusive environment that encourages participation from all corners of the academic community. Successful applicants will receive up to $1,000 USD to cover travel and lodging expenses in Evanston, IL.

  Priority application deadline: May 15, 2024.

  Decisions will be sent by June 15, 2024.

  Register Now

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  TIME Wednesday, August 14, 2024

  LOCATION Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center    map it

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  CONTACT Dongyang Li    lidongyang@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

• Aug

  15

  Undergraduate Quantum Summer School

  McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

  All Day Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center

  EVENT DETAILSmore info

  Innovation in Quantum Pedagogy, Application, and its Relation to Culture (IQ-PARC), funded by the Department of Defense — National Defense Education Program, is extending an invitation to underrepresented students nationwide (including military-connected students) to participate in a summer school focused on quantum technologies, to be held at Northwestern University. Join us for presentations by faculty and industry partners introducing quantum technologies, cutting-edge research areas, and related job opportunities particularly in the areas of national security.

  This effort aims to foster an inclusive environment that encourages participation from all corners of the academic community. Successful applicants will receive up to $1,000 USD to cover travel and lodging expenses in Evanston, IL.

  Priority application deadline: May 15, 2024.

  Decisions will be sent by June 15, 2024.

  Register Now

  more less

  TIME Thursday, August 15, 2024

  LOCATION Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center    map it

  ADD TO CALENDAR

  CONTACT Dongyang Li    lidongyang@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

• Sep

  18

  CEE Faculty Retreat

  McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

  10:00 AM 1702 Chicago Ave

  EVENT DETAILS

  Annual faculty retreat

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  TIME Wednesday, September 18, 2024 at 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

  LOCATION 1702 Chicago Ave   

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  CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

• Sep

  18

  CEE Department BBQ & Poster Session

  McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

  4:00 PM 225 Greenwood St

  EVENT DETAILS

  Annual CEE BBQ and Poster Session to begin the academic year.

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  TIME Wednesday, September 18, 2024 at 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

  LOCATION 225 Greenwood St   

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  CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

• Sep

  20

  CEE New Student Orientation

  McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

  8:00 AM A230, Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILS

  Orientation for new students to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

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  TIME Friday, September 20, 2024 at 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM

  LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it

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  CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

• Sep

  24

  Fall 2024 Classes Begin (No Northwestern Monday in Fall)

  University Academic Calendar

  All Day

  EVENT DETAILS

  Fall 2024 Classes Begin (No Northwestern Monday in Fall)

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  TIME Tuesday, September 24, 2024

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  CONTACT Office of the Registrar    nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR University Academic Calendar

• Sep

  30

  Last day to add a class or change a section for Fall (Last day for tuition adjustment related to enrollment changes (to or from full-time). No reductions are made to bills for dropped or swapped classes after this date)

  University Academic Calendar

  All Day

  EVENT DETAILS

  Last day to add a class or change a section for Fall (Last day for tuition adjustment related to enrollment changes (to or from full-time). No reductions are made to bills for dropped or swapped classes after this date)

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  TIME Monday, September 30, 2024

  ADD TO CALENDAR

  CONTACT Office of the Registrar    nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR University Academic Calendar

• Oct

  19

  CEE Fall Career Fair

  McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

  10:00 AM Louis Room, Norris University Center

  EVENT DETAILS

  Annual CEE Fall Career Fair for students.

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  TIME Saturday, October 19, 2024 at 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

  LOCATION Louis Room, Norris University Center    map it

  ADD TO CALENDAR

  CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)