https://www.matthewtroemner.com/home daily 1.0 2016-12-21 https://www.matthewtroemner.com/contact daily 0.75 2024-10-18 https://www.matthewtroemner.com/about daily 0.75 2024-11-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/549872cbe4b039edeefdf048/1548275620368-P3LRMNC7PUBO9AFAO5PV/Matthew+Troemner+Headshot About Image Credit: Joel Wintermantle | Northwestern University Engineering https://www.matthewtroemner.com/404 daily 0.75 2015-03-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/549872cbe4b039edeefdf048/1421002062934-GCYDLIX5480FAEOMZXLQ/goat 404 Error / Page Not Found https://www.matthewtroemner.com/research daily 0.75 2024-11-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/549872cbe4b039edeefdf048/1596208380311-OGSZLGE2W1P2J5ZAERPN/image-asset.jpeg Research Matthew led the creation of the Northwestern Multi-scale 3D Printing Infrastructure Laboratory — developed for cross-discipline research into large-scale 3D-printing, including systems controls, material development, and printing/extrusion equipment. During his PhD career, Matthew lead the research in these areas within the Quasi-Brittle Materials Research Group. The defining feature of this facility is an ABB industrial robot that has been adapted with a variable temperature melt extruder to produce sulfur-based concretes for both Earth and Mars constructions. Due to the open nature of the extruder, the robot is also capable of printing with various other temperature-dependent composites. Additionally, printing using mortars and cementitous materials is also capable, and research in this area is underway. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/549872cbe4b039edeefdf048/1625671712882-F91GPVY5DJPF100FKQEF/Image12.JPG Research Development of two distinct formulations of models for simulation of both fiber-reinforced unidirectional and woven composite laminates were conceived in my PhD studies. These formulations were being developed for comparison of limitations for simulating such materials, as well as comparison with their more traditional continuum- and FEM-based counterparts. Shown above is a rendering of a single woven laminate ply. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/549872cbe4b039edeefdf048/1572012935429-ZS67HQ47TANLB7VJM0FR/Northwestern+-+Marscrete+%28Before+and+After+Testing%29+1+-+Reduced+-+Attribute+to+Joel+Wintermantle.jpg Research For humans to thrive on Mars for any extended period, semi-permanent structures will have to be erected. Such a large and robust habitat would be impractical to transport prefabricated, thus utilization of local geo-environmental resources is desired. This study was on recent research performed towards the formulation and characterization of a Martian infrastructure material, called Marscrete. Marscrete is composed, in its simplest version, by sulfur and Martian regolith with a 50-50 mass ratio. Sulfur is plentiful in compounds on and below the surface of Mars, and regolith is a ubiquitous material. While a generically suitable construction material, Marscrete, when modified with mission-recycled polyethylene fibers, also demonstrates high capabilities for 3D-printing applications – a likely automated construction technique of Martian structures. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/549872cbe4b039edeefdf048/1596208317562-R5LZR5E254P6Z6V3MH7O/Northwestern+-+Exterior+Martian+Habitat.jpg Research Extreme environmental conditions, unusual loadings and, most importantly, the availability of novel construction techniques will likely dictate the form of any extraterrestrial habitat built on Mars. While a habitat could be constructed by astronauts, it is highly preferred for such a structure to already exist when the first humans land on the Martian surface. Thus, automated structure fabrication, equipped with 3D-printing technologies that use in situ resources is an intriguing approach to consider. This research is on the design and analysis of a dome-shaped Martian habitat as part of NASA’s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge. The structure has a novel composite hemispheric-parabolic dome that is optimized to sustain self-weight and environmental loads, and to be 3D-printed on an inflatable pressure vessel with Marscrete, a Martian concrete manufactured primarily with local Martian regolith and sulfur. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/549872cbe4b039edeefdf048/1625672289471-4CWRT0HKR3N5W7AOSA57/Image8.JPG Research Size effect is a phenomenon where the nominal strength of a system differs between two geometrically similar structures composed of the same material. This study includes the simulation of a variety of squat reinforced concrete shear walls subjected to assorted loads. Simulations are performed on a selection of scaled walls to better understand size effect in such structures. Data for comparison and calibration was pulled from large-scale experiments of the exact walls under examination. Shown above is a cubic sample of simulated concrete used for model calibration. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/549872cbe4b039edeefdf048/1596208201477-Y6E40UMD83X4JO4HN7VW/slice.png Research At the mortar scale, also called concrete miniscale, concrete can be regarded as a three-phase composite composed of (1) a porous matrix, the cement paste; (2) aggregate particles (from several microns to few centimeters in standard concrete); and (3) a thin layer (size of several microns) of material at the interface between cement paste and aggregate pieces, Interfacial Transition Zone (ITZ), which has distinctly different properties compared to the cement paste bulk. An updated formulation of the Lattice-Discrete Particle Model was developed to capture the distinct behavior of these phases. Additionally, it is desired to use such a model to predict the global behavior of a concrete using only properties of the underlying constituents. https://www.matthewtroemner.com/publications daily 0.75 2023-07-19 https://www.matthewtroemner.com/publicity daily 0.75 2024-06-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/549872cbe4b039edeefdf048/1597632254997-W9JX0WK7L8BPZSUP5QF4/TroemnerPopularMechanics.jpg Publicity “Here’s What NASA Thinks Mars Houses Could Look Like” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/549872cbe4b039edeefdf048/1597632375266-M61734TCB3ALQFHSDK0O/BI_UK_blue_background_vertical-2i2gqnc.jpg Publicity “NASA finds 3D-printed houses we could use on Mars” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/549872cbe4b039edeefdf048/1597632677575-SP53ZF2YTVDSUCAJIAUE/image-asset.jpeg Publicity https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/549872cbe4b039edeefdf048/1633450033726-HHNQEAGDIWTRG7FP1JJM/NU+Magazine Publicity - Make it stand out Northwestern Magazine, Cover Story https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/549872cbe4b039edeefdf048/1597633940310-ND3ZFQN8AF245KXUYLO1/NU-troemner.jpg Publicity - Make it stand out Northwestern University; 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