Affiliations: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DICA), Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milan, Italy. roberto.fedele@polimi.it | Università Politecnica delle Marche, Di.S.C.O.-Sezione di Biochimica, Biologia e Fisica, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
Note: [] The Authors kindly acknowledge: (i) the support provided by CARIPLO Foundation to the Project titled: “Innovative metal-ceramic joints for high and ultra-high temperature applications (UHT)” (Grant n. 2010-0432, Call for Scientific and technological research on advanced materials); (ii) the support provided by Politecnico di Milano to the project “CINEMAT” (2010, 5 per mille Young researcher Call). Address for correspondence: Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milan, Italy
Abstract: In this review paper the synergistic combination of X-ray microtomography, in situ mechanical tests on material samples and full-field kinematic measurements by 3D-Volume Digital Image Correlation is discussed. First, basic features are outlined, concerning X-ray microtomography by either laboratory sources or synchrotron radiation. The main equations for 3D-Volume Digital Image Correlation are then presented, and different provisions regularizing the ill-posed problem of motion estimation are outlined. Thereafter, a survey of the state of the art is provided, with reference to a variety of biological and engineering materials. Limitations and perspectives of the proposed methodology in diverse applications are highlighted. The rapid growth of this research topic is emphasized, due to the truly multi-disciplinary vocation, the synergy between algorithmic and technological solutions, a fusion of experiments and numerical methods.
Keywords: X-ray microtomography, 3D-Volume Digital Image Correlation, Regularization, Heterogeneous materials, Material characterization, Mechanical tests
