Applications Committee Bylaws

  1. Name. The name of this group shall be the Applications Committee. The SEM Bylaws mention the Applications Committee as a major standing committee. It was formed in 1962 from two smaller committees responsible for a library and catalogue of equipment.
  2. Purpose. The committee is to assure a forum is provided for those individuals in the field of Experimental Mechanics doing the work on a more practical level than pure research. These are individuals who need as well as provide answers and techniques that are basic and not once removed from the problem solution.
  3. Officers & Duties
    1. Chairman - The committee shall have a Chairman who is appointed by the SEM President-Elect. The Chairman customarily serves a two year term. The Chairman is a member of the Technical Scope Council, National Meetings Council and TPPC. The Chairman shall inform committee members of meetings, issue meeting minutes, write semi-annual report, assist with organizing Application sessions at SEM national meetings, act as 2nd technical editor for E/T, and record minutes of E/T Editorial Committee meetings.
    2. Vice-Chairman - 1st - The Vice-Chairman shall be appointed by the SEM President-Elect. The Vice-Chairman assists the Chairman with Application Committee meetings, assists with organizing Application sessions at SEM national meetings and acts as 3rd technical editor for E/T. The Vice-Chairman also acts for the Chairman when the Chairman is absent, and moves to this position when the Chairman's term is expired.
    3. Vice-Chairman - 2nd - The Vice-Chairman shall be appointed by the SEM President-Elect. The Vice-Chairman shall coordinate all subcommittee activities for the Application Committee and ensure that the Chairman is kept informed on the subcommittee progress. The Vice-Chairman assists the Chairman in writing the semi-annual report concerning subcommittee activities. The Vice-Chairman MAY move to the position of the 1st Chairman at the expiration of the 1st Vice-Chairman's term if the individual so chooses.
  4. Membership. The general membership of the committee is appointed by the Chairman and shall include members representing all fields of Experimental Mechanics including vendors and users with the positions in education, industry and government.
  5. Activities. The activities of the Applications Committee emphasize the use of existing technology for the solution of practical problems in experimental mechanics:
    1. National Meeting Sessions - The Chairman and Vice-Chairman review abstracts and extended summaries of application papers submitted for presentation at national meetings. The accepted papers are then organized into applications sessions. The Application Committee also coordinates with the application sessions developed by the technical committees. Activities concerned with the solicitation and coordination of papers for presentation at meetings are to be handled in a matrix fashion across Council lines by direct coordination with the Technical Program Planning Committee as shown in the Flow Chart (Figure AC-1) and as specified in the procedures section of this book.
    2. Experimental Techniques Editorial Committee - The committee is responsible for the development of this publication. Under the direction of the past Chairman, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Publisher and Managing Editor of the society, articles are solicited, reviewed and organized for publication. This activity is conducted via the structure of the E/T Editorial Committee as specified by the procedures section of the Organizational Handbook.
    3. SEM Technical Procedures and Standards - The Applications Committee identifies and develops SEM recommended standards, procedures, and guide-lines for experimental mechanics. For example, the Committee proposed the strain gage terminal color coding scheme which will become the first SEM/ANSI Standard. A subcommittee conducted a round-robin test program using a standard SAE keyhole fatigue specimen. Laboratories throughout the United States participated to provide confidence bands for strain gage readings. Another subcommittee is constructing a Buyer's Guide listing sources for experimental mechanics equipment.
    4. SEM Recommended Qualifications for Stress Analysis Technicians The Committee has been developing recommended criteria that should be met by technicians to conduct testing in specific areas of experimental mechanics. The committee was responsible for initiating the qualification program for strain gage technicians which was transferred to the Technical Committee on Strain Gages.