Experimental Mechanics

The Experimental Mechanics course covers important measurement methods for measuring vibrations, for determining deformations and mechanical stresses. By combining lectures and practicals, students should be able to independently select, apply and correctly analyse measurement methods. The lectures of this course include the construction of strain gauges, strain gauge bridge circuits, measurements of basic stresses with strain gauges, vibration measurements, piezoelectric sensors, laser Doppler vibrometers, optical and inductive displacement sensors, Fourier transformation of time signals, discrete signals, parameter determination of single degree of freedom systems, measurement of frequency responses, optical principles of stress optics, determination of isochromatic order, surface layer methods, Moiré methods and holographic interferometry. The practical course covers topics such as measurements with strain gauges, bending and arching force torsion, stress optics, vibration measurement, torsional and bending vibrations and frequency analysis.