Teaching - Akono Lab
Fostering Sustainability Through Nanomechanics.
CE 794 - Microporomechanics
The objective of this course is to introduce students to advanced methods to describe the mechanics and physics of porous media. Porous media are pervasive, and some examples include rock, soil, concrete, wood, foam, and bone. Porous media are relevant in many civil engineering applications such as concrete durability, hydraulic fracturing in unconventional reservoirs, geothermal energy systems, and carbon dioxide geological sequestration.
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Prerequisites: Continuum mechanics, elasticity of materials, strength of materials
Caption: scanning electron micrograph of unaltered host rock for carbon dioxide geological storage.
CE 594 - Fracture and Fatigue of Structural Materials
Fracture is pervasive and accounts for 4% loss in GDP. In most instances, we want to prevent fracture, and in some other instances, we want to induce it. As for fatigue, it is at the origin of 90% of mechanical failure events. This course introduces the fundamentals of Fracture Mechanics and Fatigue Mechanics. We will review the fracture behavior of various engineering materials such as metals, polymers, and composites. We will study nonlinear approaches in Fracture Mechanics. We will explore microstructural aspects of fatigue, micromechanisms of fatigue crack growth, and analytical approaches to fatigue. We will review experimental methods for fracture and fatigue properties characterization.
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Prerequisites: Continuum mechanics, elasticity of materials, strength of materials
Caption: scanning electron micrograph of microscopic fracture in nanoreinforced cement alternative.
CE 225 - Mechanics of Solids
This course deals with the behavior of deformable solid bodies subjected to various types of loading. The solid bodies considered in this course include bars with axial loads, shafts in torsion, beams in bending, and columns in compression. The principal objective of this course is to determine the stresses, strains, and displacements in structures and components due to the loads acting on them. An understanding of these topics is essential for the safe design of all types of structures.
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Prerequisites: CE 214 or MAE 206 (Statics), and MA 242.
Caption: Mechanics of solids is important in many fields such as understanding the basics of biomechanics, crafting an exhibit for a museum, or designing a building. Location: North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC.