ASCE EMD Fluids Technical Committee Annual Report

(October 1, 2002 – July 23, 2003)

submitted by committee chair Michelle Teng

 

 

  1. Committee Membership:

 

Currently, there are 24 members on the fluids committee. The committee members’ scientific background covers almost the full range of engineering fluid mechanics from the traditional hydraulics, hydrodynamics to the modern bio-fluid mechanics and nano-science and engineering. Some members also serve on two closely related committees, namely the turbulence and granular material committees. Among the 24 committee members, ¾ are US scholars while the 6 international members are from Asia, Europe and Australia. There are 3 (13%) women committee members.

 

The majority (80%) of the committee members actively participated in committee activities including helping organize conference sessions, serving as journal paper reviewers, and planning for activities for the following year. During the past year, no new committee members were added. Within the committee, Professor Nik Katopodes, Chair of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Michigan, has been nominated (and approved by the ExCom) as the incoming Vice Chair for the committee starting October 1, 2003. In addition, Professor Francis Ting from the South Dakota State University has been nominated as a new control group member.

 

During the following year, we plan to replace the 3 or 4 inactive members with new members. The new members will be recruited to maintain a critical mass for each future important research direction in fluid mechanics that our committee has determined.

 

  1. Editing Papers for ASCE Journal of Engineering Mechanics (excluding the special issue):

 

During the past 10 months, the fluids committee received 18 papers submitted to JEM for processing. Among the 18 papers, 12 are new submissions and 6 are revised or resubmitted papers.

 

For the 12 new submissions, 8 are from Asia, 1 from Australia, 1 from Canada, and 2 from the US. Here is a summary of the review status of the 12 new submissions:

 

-         3 tentatively accepted, re-review required;

-         1 declined with encouragement for resubmission;

-         2 declined, final;

-         4 currently under review;

-         1 returned to ASCE because the topic did not fit fluid mechanics;

-         1 directed to ASCE for number logging first; the authors sent the papers to the committee directly without going through the journals department first.

 

There is a need to promote JEM among fluid mechanics scholars in civil engineering in US.

  1. Organizing Sessions for EM-2003

 

Under the leadership of Prof. Keh Han Wang, the Fluids Committee organized 6 sessions for the EM-2003 conference. Some of the sessions were organized in collaboration with the Turbulence Committee. The detailed session topics are given below:

 

Session 53: Sediment Transport

Session 54: Hydrodynamics and Transport Modeling (with Turbulence Committee)

Session 56: Environmental Fluid Mechanics I: Experimental Studies (with Turbulence

                   Committee)

Session 57: Environmental Fluid Mechanics II: Numerical Methods (with Turbulence

                   Committee)

Session 58: Environmental Fluid Mechanics III: Numerical Simulations (with Turbulence

                   Committee)

Session 59: Fluid Mechanics Applications in Civil Engineering

 

  1. Completion of Editing a Special Issue for JEM

 

In collaboration with the ASCE Turbulence Committee, the Fluids Committee (lead editor: Professor Keh Han Wang) helped to edit a special issue for the J. of Engineering Mechanics with the theme “Advanced Experimental Techniques in Environmental Fluid Mechanics”. The fluids committee invited 6 papers, and after normal review, 4 were accepted and 2 were declined. The accepted papers cover the following topics: flow measurement by using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), new algorithm for PIV, new experimental techniques for studying sediment transport, and field technique for studying waves in harbors. The special issue will be published in October 2003.

 

  1. Planning for Activities for the Following Year

 

Aside from the regular activities such as organizing sessions for EM-2004, the fluids committee has planned for the following special event or activity for the following year:

 

(1)   To co-sponsor the Theodore Y.T. Wu Symposium on Engineering Mechanics to be held in Vancouver, BC Canada during June 20-25, 2004. The collaborating sponsor is the Ocean Engineering Committee of ASME;

 

(2)   To begin developing a database for benchmark experimental and numerical tests for evaluating existing computational codes in engineering fluid mechanics;

 

(3)   To develop criteria for the ASCE EMD Fluids Committee Best Annual Conference Paper Award for Student Authors;

 

(4)   To compile an email list of major fluid mechanics scholars in civil engineering in the US and abroad for promoting teaching, research and practice in fluid mechanics in civil engineering, and for promoting ASCE and the fluids committee activities.