Model Validation & Uncertainty Quantification

The purpose of the Technical Division on Model Validation and Uncertainty Quantification (MV&UQ) shall be to provide maximum technical benefits to its members by:

• Promoting the advancement and understanding of MV&UQ theory and methods by providing a forum for the exchange of information on MV&UQ theory, methods, applications, and related activities.
• Promoting “best practices” in the areas of experimental testing and validated simulations through the use of MV&UQ methods.
• Providing educational opportunities to promote the understanding and use of proven MV&UQ methods.
• Whenever possible, promoting the exchange of information and coordinating MV&UQ related activities with other technical or professional societies.

Bylaws

Background

	Minutes of the February 2011 Meeting of the Technical Division
	Download the IMAC XXVII Plenary Lecture: Industrial Perspective of V&V in Engineering Decisions by Dr. John A. Cafeo, General Motors Research & Development
	Model Validation & Updating Tutorial Presented at IMAC XXVII, February 10, 2009, Orlando, FL
	Paper & Presentation #1  Introduction to Model Validation By Thomas L. Paez   Paper & Presentation #2 Probabilistic Methods in Model Validation By Thomas L. Paez & Laura Swiler   Paper & Presentation #3  A Structural Dynamics Model Validation Example with Actual Hardware By Randy Mayes, Keith Miller, Wil Holzmann, Greg Tipton, Charles Adams	Paper & Presentation #4 Developing Adequacy Criteria for Model Validation Based on Requirements By Randy Mayes   Paper & Presentation #5 Model Correlation and Calibration By Randy Mayes   Paper & Presentation #5 Epistemic Uncertainty Quantification Tutorial By Laura P. Swiler, Thomas L. Paez, Randall L. Mayes

Model Validation and Uncertainty Quantification Division - Updated April 2011

The Model Validation and Uncertainty Quantification (MVUQ) technical division seeks to address issues of credible numerical simulation linked to the activities of the SEM.  It’s aims are to promote the advancement and understanding of MVUQ theory and methods; to disseminate ‘best practice’ in the areas of experimental testing and validated simulation; to provide educational opportunities to promote the understanding and use of proven MV&UQ methods; and to support the exchange of information in MVUQ-related areas with other technical or professional societies.

The TD met for the seventh year at IMAC XXIX in Jacksonville, Fl. The TD had a reasonable showing with four sessions dedicated to MVUQ at the 2011 conference, with a total of 23 presentations given in four tracks:

• Model Validation and Applications
• Uncertainty Quantification Techniques
• Uncertainty Mitigation in Experimental Dynamic Substructuring
• Uncertainty Quantification Tutorial

While the number of sessions was lower than the six sessions at IMAC XXVII, the strong attendance at these sessions offers evidence of the ongoing interest in the areas covered by the TD within the SEM community. The UQ tutorial was a particularly good example of this and was attended by a full cross-section of the community ranging from the curious to the seasoned.

The best paper award for 2011 went to our new historian John McFarland and his coauthors A. Morris, B. Bichon, D. Riha, D. Ferrill, and R. McGinnis and their paper entitled “Geological Stress State Calibration and Uncertainty Analysis.”  The TD would like to congratulate the authors on their outstanding work.

Professor Yakov Ben-Haim taught a well-attended preconference course entitled “Uncertainty Quantification: An Info-Gap Approach to Design and Decision.”  This course was a change from our previous courses which focused on validation and calibration of models. 

The annual meeting of the TD took place during IMAC with 14 members in attendance. Our elections this year shuffled the leadership of the TD quite a bit. Although we have the same chair (and past chair, by default), all other positions have been reassigned.  Randy Mayes stepped down as the vice chair, having held this role since the founding of the TD. Thank you Randy for all of your hard work. Our new vice chair is Sezer Atamturktur who was our secretary.  Our new secretary is Robert Barthorpe, who is new to the TD. As mentioned, John McFarland is our new historian. John is also new to our TD. We appreciate new members stepping up as officers.

In addition to officer elections, the future path of group was discussed and several candidate sessions for the 2012 conference were put forward. These included:

• Robustness applications/design
• Verification and Validation of Coupled, Multi-Physics and Multi-Scale Models
• Uncertainty Quantification Applications
• Validation Metrics for Test-Model Correlation
• Bayesian and Markov Chain Monte Carlo Techniques

As always, the MVUQ TD would like to expand its preconference course offerings and sessions and is always interested in hearing new ideas. If you would like to be involved in the sessions listed above, or if you have any thoughts on sessions you would like to see offered by the MVUQ TD at future conferences, please get in touch with the TD officers.

Examples of V&V Projects

Modal response of composite laminate plates.