ASCE Engineering Mechanics Division

Fluids Committee Annual Report

Alexander Cheng, Chair

June 1, 2000

In the year ending June 1, 2000, the committee has the following activities:

1.      The Fluids Committee organized 16 special sessions in the EM2000 conference, which included 4 sessions organized by the Granular Flow Subcommittee. These were: 5 sessions on environmental fluid mechanics (co-organized with the Turbulence Committee), 3 sessions on boundary element methods, 2 sessions on fluids and structures, 1 session on moving boundary/interface problems, 1 session on biomechanics, and 4 sessions on granular flow.

2.      Of particular interest to mention is the session on Education and Future Trends in Environmental Fluid Mechanics. A panel discussion was organized. The session was well attended by about thirty participants. It concluded with a resolution that requested the Fluids Committee to organize an effort to produce an undergraduate textbook on environmental fluid mechanics for the education of environmental engineers.

3.      During the 20-month period, from October 1998 to May 2000, the Fluid Committee received 44 manuscripts for review for the Journal of Engineering Mechanics. 37 manuscripts have been processes, and 7 are under review. Of the 37 processed manuscript, 12 were rejected.

4.      The project on editing a book on "Environmental Fluid Mechanics—Theory and Applications" by a task force is well in progress. Most chapters have been collected and are under review. The book will be published by ASCE Press.

5.      In collaboration with the Turbulence Committee, a special issue of the Journal of Engineering Mechanics on Environmental Fluid Mechanics was published in July 1999.

6.      In the coming year, the Fluids Committee will have one retirement and five new members. The new roster in October 1, 2000 will have 21 members, up from 17.

  1. The committee continue to maintain a Web page located at:

http://www.ce.udel.edu/faculty/cheng/asce/fluids.html

  1. The committee decided to propose a special issue on "Techniques in Experimental Fluid Mechanics" to the Journal of Engineering Mechanics. This will be a joint venture with the Turbulence Committee.
  2. The committee decided to strengthen its tie with the Turbulence Committee. To maintain good communication, the chairs of the two committees have attended each other’s committee meeting.