Seminar Series: Dr. Rolando Chacón on Role of Simulations in Digital Twinning Structures & Infrastructures

College Station, TX- 

Rolando Chacón , Ph.D., visited Texas A&M University on October 20th to present his work on \”The Role of Simulations in Digital Twinning Structures & Infrastructures. A Set of Examples of European Infrastructure Systems,” to Civil Engineering Graduate Students. The graduate seminar, Structures, Geotechnical and Construction Division is instructed by Dr. Zenon Medina-Cetina, Associate Professor in the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Texas A&M University. This seminar was facilitated by Dr. Carlos Quintero-Febres ,an Instructional Professor in the Zachry Department.

Dr. Chacón holds a degree in Civil Engineering from the Universidad de los Andes (VE) in Venezuela and earned a MSc and PhD from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) in Barcelona, Spain. He has been an associate professor at UPC since 2009. His research has focused on advanced inelastic analysis of steel structures, with emphasis on structural problems related to plate buckling, stability, and dynamics. Currently his research encompasses the integration of analysis simulations, and measurements in the context of new human-structures interfaces, such as digital twins. He has received recognition in both teaching and research, being awarded the European EUCEET, European Civil Engineering Education and Trainingin 2021 for teaching and the David Luque award from UPCNET-UPC in 2013. As a researcher he was recognized as the Best Young Researcher in Eurosteel in 2008.

In the seminar, Dr. Chacón presented a set of twinning experiences of connection between physical data, numerical simulations, and comprehensive 3D representations of real structural assets. From educational lab experiences on simple elements to major European infrastructure systems (buildings, bridges, or stadiums), the set of examples of comprehensive digital twins are aimed to illustrate challenges and benefits of digitization and advanced numerical modelers on the verge of this convergence of fields. *

*Abstract and bio and photos provided by Dr. Chacón.