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Biomechanics Meeting in Limerick, Ireland
With a major focus on orthopaedics, the Bioengineering
Measurements Technical Group of the British Society of Strain
Measurement (BSSM) has established itself as a leader in
educational programmes that promote close collaboration between
experts in engineering strain-measurement and researchers in
Biology. Since its inception three years ago, the Technical
Group has organised Workshops at: Queen Mary and Westfield
College, London, England (1989); Banff, Canada (1991); Rome,
Italy (1992); and its recent, and most successful meeting, at the
University of Limerick in Ireland. These meetings have led to
three publications which provide a major contribution to an
understanding of the use of strain-measurement techniques in
Biomechanics:
Strain Measurement in Biomechanics. Edited by Miles
and Tanner, published by Chapman & Hall, London, 1992.
The Workshop for Strain Measurement in Biomechanics.
Edited by Finlay, published by the Canadian Medical and
Biological Engineering Society, Ottawa, 1991.
Experimental Mechanics. Edited by E.G. Little,
published by Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam,
1992.
While receiving international support from both BSSM and the
Society of Experimental mechanics (SEM), these meetings have
received consistent in-depth support from the Measurements Group
of Vishay from their offices in Ireland, Canada and England and
particularly from the specialists at their headquarters in
Raleigh, North Carolina. The orthopaedic nature of the meeting
in Limerick was clearly reflected in the generous support of
Howmedica International and the active participation of their
members, Drs Peter Lawes, Declan Slemon and Dave Fricker.
The Irish meeting involved 80 participants from 13 countries and
the publication of a 515-page Proceedings containing 45 detailed
papers under the headings of:
+ Non-linear analysis (including combined finite element
and experimental methods) . . . . . . . . 10 papers
+ Measurements on composites, soft and hard tissue
(including thermoelastic techniques) . . . . 7 papers
+ Measurement techniques (including residual stress)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 papers
+ Measurement techniques (in vivo) . . . . . . 5 papers
+ Force measurement and telemetry. . . . . . . 7 papers
+ Optical measurements (Holography and Speckle
Pattern Interferometry). . . . . . . . . . . 4 papers
+ Optical measurements (Photoelasticity) . . . 5 papers
Internationally-recognised strain-measurement expert Peter Stein
(Phoenix, Arizona) gave the Annual BSSM Strain Measurement
Lecture "The lack of technology transfer within low-tech
engineering disciplines: How it has affected experimental stress
analysis history".
The proceedings of the conference are published in hard-cover
format by Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam (1992), ISBN 0
444 89580 9. Further details on the contents of the book, its
cost and ordering may be obtained from Professor Ted Little,
Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering, University
of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland, Phone 353-61-333644 ext. 2243,
FAX 353-61-330316, e-mail LittleT@UL.IE.
The next Workshop to be held by the Technical Group will focus on
Optical Techniques of Measurement, to be held at Queen Mary and
Westfield College (QMW) in London, England in September 1993.
Details of the meeting may be obtained from Dr Julia Shelton
(phone 011-44-71-975-5555, FAX 011-44-81-981-9804) at QMW or Dr
John Orr at Queens University in Belfast (phone 011-44-232-
661111, FAX 0232-661729).
Best wishes:
Bryan Finlay, PhD 519-663-3063
Director of Orthopaedic Research 519-663-3904 FAX
University Hospital
P.O. Box 5339
London, Ontario, CANADA, N6A 5A5