ENME E4212: Experimental Solid Mechanics

Course Overview

This hands-on course provides an introduction to advanced experimental techniques in solid mechanics, combining cutting-edge methods with a strong theoretical foundation. You will gain practical experience with state-of-the-art tools such as strain measurement systems, digital image correlation (DIC), and other optical techniques used in modern stress analysis.

Designed around real-world engineering applications, the course emphasizes experiential learning. You will independently design experiments, conduct tests, and analyze data, reinforcing key concepts in solid mechanics along the way. Current industry-standard practices will also be explored to provide context and relevance.

In an era where AI-driven analysis demands high-quality data, this course equips you with the critical skills needed to generate, interpret, and apply experimental data in solving complex engineering problems. 

Course Instructor

Addis Kidane

Associate Professor

Kidane is an associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at Columbia University. His field of research is experimental solid mechanics, which focuses on the mechanics of materials such as composites, nanocomposites, functionally graded materials, cellular materials, polycrystalline, and energetic materials at high-strain-rate loading and temperature. He is also an associate editor of the journal Mechanics of Materials. 

Kidane obtained his PhD in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics from the University of Rhode Island (URI) and spent two years at the California Institute of Technology as a postdoctoral scholar. Prior to joining Columbia University, Kidane was an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of South Carolina.