Yuanguo (Ewan) Chen

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Computer Modeling and Simulation

ASEC Room 535
Dept. of Civil Engineering
The University of Akron
Akron, OH 44325-3905, U.S.A.

Tel: 1-330-972-2683

Email: yc39@zips.uakron.edu
EDUCATION

08/2006~Present (Expected graduation date: 12/2009)
The University of Akron, Akron, OH, U.S.A.
Ph.D. Candidate, Civil Engineering
09/2003~03/2006
Tongji University, Shanghai, P.R. China
Master of Engineering, Solid Mechanics
09/1999~06/2003
Wuhan University of Hydraulic & Electric Engineering-Yichang, Yichang, Hubei, P. R. China
Bachelor of Engineering, Hydroelectric Engineering

Yuanguo(Ewan) Chen received his bachelor degree in Hydroelectric Engineering, a branch of Civil Engineering in China, where he obtained solid knowledge on Mechanics, Structure and Geo-technology. In 2003, Ewan Chen succeed in competing for the chance to study for his Master degree in Tongji University, the top universities in Civil Engineering in China, where he concentrated his research on the dynamic responses of layered poroelastic medium under high speed moving load, a project supported by the NSF (National Nature and Science Foundation, No. 10372073). In this work, Ewan Chen put forward the analytical solution for the layered poroelasticity under vehicle load and discussed the effect of moving speed and oscillating frequency on the responses of subgrade. The difficulties faced by him during his work in layered problem are very challenging, thus Ewan Chen joined the group of Computer and Modeling Simulation at the University of Akron to continue his research in the layered problem for his Ph.D. degree, where his research included pavement and earth structure, both are layered structure.
 

RESEARCH

 
08/2006~06/2007
An Exploratory Study on Functionally Graded Materials with Applications to Multilayered Pavement Design.
Supported by ODOT/FHWA
The released LTPP data showed that the modulus varied with depth, thus the conventional assumption that every layer had constant moduli could not give birth to satisfactory pavement performance. The newly released MEPDG suggested subdividing every layer to many sublayers, with every sublayer being identical. However, the number of sublayers and field points considered constrained to 20 and 26, respectively, which can not model the variation of modulus satisfactorily. To overcome this challenge, the group of Computer Modeling and Simulation (CMS) at the University of Akron developed an innovative and powerful computation program, MultiSmart3D, which can deals with arbitrary number of lays/sublayers and field points. Based on the work finished by previous group member, Ewan Chen upgraded the program treating single load to the present one treating multiple loads, a more practical situation in transportation engineering. As well, Ewan Chen helped finalize the report (mainly Chapter 7, FHWA/OH-07-012) and the program, MultiSmart3D.

06/2007~Present
Viscoelastic Modeling of Flexible Pavement
Supported by Eisenhower Graduate Fellowship, FHWA, DOT
Most existing pavement design programs, e.g. MEPDG, assume pavement material to be elastic for simplicity. However, as we know, flexible pavement is far from pure elasticity, for example, the AC layer shows typical viscoelasticity. In modeling viscoelastic pavement, conventionally only some approximate methods, e.g. collocation methods, finite difference method (FDM), can be employed. Recently, Ewan has developed a unique semi-analytical solution to analyze the lineally viscoelastic pavement analytically in time domain for the first time, a benchmark work in the modeling of viscoelastic pavement.
Because of the contribution of his work, Ewan received the competitive Eisenhower graduate fellowship in 2008 supporting his PhD study for two years. Preliminarily, his work will include:
1. model rutting test (APA) and fatigue test (BBF) based on linear viscoleasticity
2. incorporate the semi-analytical solution into the MEPDG.
incorporate the semi-analytical solution into Finite Element Method (FEM) codes, e.g. ABAQUS.
 

PUBLICATIONS

Journal Papers
Chen, E. Y. G., Pan, E., and Green, R. (2008). “Surface loading of a multilayered viscoelastic pavement: A semi-analytical solution.” Journal of Engineering Mechanics, ASCE. (In review)
Chen, E. Y. G. and Pan, E. (2007). “Responses of a transversely isotropic layered half-space to multiple horizontal loads.” ASCE Geotechnical Special Publication: Innovations in the Characterization, Modeling and Simulation of Pavements and Materials. (in press)
Pan, E., Chen, E., and Alkasawneh, W. (2008). “Layered flexible pavement studies: challenges in forward and inverse problems.” International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology, 1(1), 12-16. (Technique paper)
Chen, Y. G. and Jin, B. (2008). “Dynamic response of a poroelastic stratum to moving oscillating load.” Science in China, Series G: Physics, Mechanics, Astronomy, 38(3), 250-259 (Chinese version); 51(7), 883-893 (English version)
Chen, Y. G. and Jin, B. (2006). “Dynamic responses of a layered poroelastic medium under high speed and time harmonic load.” Chinese Quarterly of Mechanics, 27(2), 212-219.(in Chinese)
 
Reports
Pan, E., Alkasawneh, W., and Chen, E. (2007). “An exploratory study on functionally graded materials with applications to multilayered pavement design.” FHWA/OH-07-012, Ohio Department of Transportation, Columbus, Ohio.
 
Conferences
TRB 86th Annual Meeting, January 21-25, 2007, Washington DC
The 18th Engineering Mechanics Division Conference of the ASCE, June 3-6, 2007, Blacksburg, VA. “Responses of a Transversely Isotropic Layered Half-Space to Multiple Horizontal Loading.”
9th U.S. National Congress on Computational Mechanics, July 22- 26, 2007, San Francisco, CA. “Responses of a Transversely Isotropic Pavement to Multiple Shear Loads.”
Inaugural International Conference of the Engineering Mechanics Institute,May 18-21, 2008, Minneapolis, MN. “Surface loading of a multilayered viscoelastic pavement: A semi-analytical solution.”
 

PROGRAM

Computer Modeling and Simulation Group, Department of Civil Engineering, the University of Akron, MultiSmart3D
Based on the innovative multilayer elasticity theory, this program can compute an arbitrary number of field points of the pavement composed of an arbitrary number of layers, with just choosing the corresponding option and inputting the basic information of load and pavement in the user friendly GUI as below.

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