ap p li e d s c i e n c e
APPLIED SCIENCE We undertake research, development and design to engineer practical solutions that manage risks to life across a diverse range of military and civilian applications. We analyze and model everything from buildings, infrastructure and industrial facilities to vehicles, biomedical devices and novel engineered materials.
ap p li e d s c i e n c e
WHAT WE DO We leverage a unique combination of technologies and expertise to solve complex problems. Military, government, energy, corporate and academic clients value the validation of our software and the critical insights we provide.
DEFENSE R&D, ENGINEERING & TESTING Our engineers, physicists and computer scientists assist clients with expertise in nonlinear dynamic structural analysis, 3D computational fluid dynamics, fire and thermal response and protection, structural acoustics, sonar, development of advanced analysis techniques and assessment of structures under explosive loads. We also plan and undertake large-scale testing for certification, and for verification and validation of our digital models.
ALWAYS INNOVATING Innovation is a defining characteristic of the applied science mission. Ushering scientific ideas from the academic realm to practical application is a fundamental aspect of the practice’s many different service offerings. We tackle unsolved challenges by applying multidisciplinary thinking and an open-minded approach. We pioneer new scientific methods and develop technological tools in diverse domains, from military facilities to biomedical devices. Another key aspect of our practice is a focus on real-world testing to validate the simulation tools we create to engineer solutions.
ADVANCED MATERIALS, METALLURGY & FRACTURE We provide investigation, modeling, evaluation and quantification in support of material design and development. We create advanced constitutive models to simulate thermomechanical non-linear behavior and failure of structural materials. And we analyze and optimize engineered materials – including metamaterials – for novel applications in acoustics and thermal management. VIRTUAL HUMAN MODELING We assist in the development of medical devices, wearable electronics, clothing and protective devices. Our ability to simulate the human body and organs, such as the heart and skin, using advanced modeling coupled with statistical methods and rigorous validation and verification principles, provide detail and insight that speed the optimization of these devices.
TEST DESIGN & TEST INTEGRATION We offer test design, post-test support and test integration services, including product performance verification, critical infrastructure protection validation and petrochemical facility testing. We plan product performance testing, assist in test facility selection and testing program management, and provide on-site observation and support. EXPLOSIVE SAFETY We perform explosive-safety siting and design for new facilities and retrofits, applying a nuanced understanding of US- and UKgovernment and international IATG and AASTP standards. Knowledge gained through extensive experience enables us to craft solutions that pass reviews by the US Department of Defense (DoD) and National Nuclear Security Administration, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Health & Safety Executive, and other local governments. ADVANCED ANALYSES FOR EXTREME EVENTS We analyze structural response to an array of extreme events to quantify vulnerability, risk and mitigation methods. This enables us to optimize the design of protective measures and meet government criteria for civil infrastructure, hardened military structures, ships, transport vehicles and vulnerable building components. Our simulation results have been extensively validated against field tests conducted by the DoD, MoD and commercial clients.
HOW WE WORK WE SOLVE PROBLEMS OTHERS CAN’T We routinely tackle nonroutine challenges; our clients bring us difficult problems that have never before been addressed. Our expertise – across a broad range of disciplines – in R&D, testing, materials science, computational simulation methods and software development, enables us to invent a unique approach to each challenge.
Ben Rahn / A-Frame
Simulation of a vehicle blast on the deck of a cable-stay bridge. CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY & RESILIENCE We develop threat, vulnerability and risk assessments (TVRAs) and design mitigation measures for critical infrastructure for new and existing – modern and historic – structures. Our assessments address structural elements, glazing and cladding systems, and topographical and landscape details surrounding the asset. NUCLEAR FACILITY ENGINEERING SERVICES We provide specialist services for nuclear facilities – including plants, repositories and laboratories – at every stage of their life cycle, from new build, through asset management, to decommissioning and reuse. We support nuclear safety cases through design and justification for extreme loads caused by natural hazards, accidental explosions, fire and man-made events. Our analysis capabilities – including explicit and implicit nonlinear dynamic finite-element analyses, soil-structure interaction modeling, computational fluid dynamics, fragility studies, impact analyses and response-spectrum development – complement our expertise in plantlife extension, transportation and storage containers, and mobilization and transportation systems for nuclear waste sludges.
SCIENTIFIC & ENGINEERING SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT We design software to solve challenging engineering problems, answer new questions and perform functions not addressed by off-the-shelf packages. We tailor solutions to our clients’ needs and have a proven record of safeguarding products and data. We develop applications for firms of all sizes, helping them innovate in hightech manufacturing, automotive light-weighting, biomedical device design and manufacturing, aircraft fleet sustainment and more. OIL & GAS, LNG & PETROCHEMICAL SERVICES We support off- and onshore facilities by identifying, analyzing, mitigating and managing natural and man-made major accident hazards, from design to decommissioning. Combining cutting-edge tools with decades of experience, we support clients with day-to-day operational management, analysis and process optimization, hazard and associated safety-system assessment and management, asset integrity, siting, design and retrofit of facilities, fitness for service, and incident investigation and recovery.
WE DELIVER PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS While R&D is critical to our work, in the end we are engineers, not academicians. We focus on real-world applications that solve specific problems at the appropriate level of detail.
WE DEVELOP NEW METHODS We develop advanced scientific methods ourselves and work to transition academic methods to production-engineering environments. We address new challenges seeking higher performance, more efficient solutions or newer and more flexible schemes for tackling old problems.
TESTING FOR VALIDATION Our goal in developing physicsbased simulations is to create models of reality. We compare our computer-generated results with experimental data and practical engineering “sanity checks” to ensure their accuracy and validity. Simulation of a penetrator munition traveling through a layered concrete target, developed using NLFlex, our computational structural dynamics software.
12/2018
THORNTON TOMASETTI OPTIMIZES THE DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE OF STRUCTURES, MATERIALS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROJECTS OF EVERY SIZE AND LEVEL OF COMPLEXITY. An employee-owned organization of engineers, scientists, architects and other professionals collaborating from offices worldwide, we support clients by drawing on the diverse expertise of our integrated practices. We are committed to being a sustainable and enduring organization and the global driver of innovation in our industry. INNOVATION AT OUR CORE
CORE is our innovation incubator, a vehicle for collaborating with project teams, academic institutions and other partners – in the AEC industry and beyond – to develop and market new technologies. CORE lab identifies and nurtures R&D projects – ranging from incremental to transformational – to create new capabilities, methods or products.
www.thorntontomasetti.com
CORE studio provides technology-focused expertise to all our practices, enhancing collaboration and responsiveness through a wide range of creative initiatives.