Conference Overview
This conference unites the international scientific community working in the field of testing and modeling of composites. It is commonly known that testing heterogeneous and anisotropic materials and structures presents a number of challenges to researchers, including the identification of numerous parameters, the development of specific test fixtures (shear, compression, fracture toughness), and the control of parasitic effects. As a consequence, the development of testing and model identification procedures is broadly recognized as an interesting and important area. Recent developments in optical whole-field measurement techniques (speckle interferometry, digital image correlation, etc.) and in-situ damage monitoring (acoustic emission, optical fiber sensors) open a broad field of investigation. Testing and identification procedures for composites have to be adapted to make full use of the data provided by whole-field methods. Testing to determine other physical parameters, such as thermal expansion, critical values of thermodynamic forces, cure shrinkage, and moisture adsorption also poses considerable challenges.
The objective of the conference is to provide the opportunity for informal scientific exchange on the subject of composite material testing and model identification. It is organized in a single-session presentation format with extended poster-session and discussion periods. The first two CompTest conferences were held in Ch�lons-en-Champagne (France) in January 2003 and Bristol (U.K.) in September 2004, respectively. The most recent CompTest conference, held in Porto (Portugal) in April 2006, attracted over 100 participants from Academia, Government, and Industry from many countries. For CompTest 2008, we invite you to join us in Dayton, Ohio (USA), home of the Wright Brothers and extensive innovation in research, development, and manufacturing.
Relevant Topics
The conference will focus on all issues related to identifying parameters for modeling the mechanical & physical behavior of composite materials. Particular attention will be given to innovative identification procedures, interactions between testing and modeling, in-situ damage monitoring, and the use of whole-field measurements. All composite materials may be addressed (polymer, cement, ceramic, metallic matrices, carbon, glass, boron, natural fibers, wood, etc).
Links to Previous CompTest Conferences
2003: Ch�lons-en-Champagne, France
2004: Bristol, UK
2006: Porto, Portugal
About our Logo
The logo is a photograph of a Dayton wall plaque depicting three of Dayton's historic figures: the brothers
Wilbur and Orville Wright, inventors of the first controlled heavier-than-air aircraft, and Paul Laurence Dunbar, the first African-American poet and author to garner international critical acclaim. The three were classmates in the late 19th century.