This paper describes recent experience within the civil engineering program at the U.S. Military Academy (USMA) to integrate simulation tools to assist students in understanding concepts. Students are introduced to SOLIDWORKS Simulation in their first two engineering courses. This tool provides students with opportunities to develop a sense for structural behavior and visualize load effects on structures. This paper describes several examples of how this software has been integrated into statics and mechanics of materials courses as well as a structural analysis course. In addition to describing examples of how simulation software can be used to improve students’ ability to visualize engineering mechanics concepts, this paper reports initial assessment data and discusses ideas for ways to better integrate these tools to improve student learning and assess the influence on students’ conceptual understanding.
Lieutenant Colonel Jakob Bruhl is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering at the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY. He received his B.S. from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, M.S. Degrees from the University of Missouri at Rolla and the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign, and Ph.D. from Purdue University. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Missouri. His research interests include resilient infrastructure, protective structures, and engineering education.
Lieutenant Colonel Richard Gash is an Engineer Officer in the United States Army. He is currently assigned as an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. He has earned PhD in Structural Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles and is a Registered Professional Engineer.
Chris Conley is currently a research affiliate with the Picker Engineering Program at Smith College. He has served on the faculties of four institutions over the last three decades. He has also worked as a researcher at four federal laboratories. His research interests include modeling and simulation, both physical and numerical, with special interest in the response of structures to extreme loads. Helping others learn to apply engineering mechanics to better understand their world is a passion.
Lieutenant Colonel Paul Moody is an Associate Professor at the U.S. Military
Academy, West Point, NY. He received his B.S. and M.S. from Massachusetts
Institute of Technology and Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts,
Amherst. He is an active member of ASEE and a registered Professional
Engineer in Virginia. His research areas include climate change impact on
water resource systems and infrastructure.
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