Rolling elements play a pivotal role in almost all modern engineering systems characterized by large relative motion between its mechanical components.

Multibody dynamics, being the best suited discipline to deal with the computational dynamic aspects of the analysis and modelling of systems with very large motion, requires computationally efficient approaches, and algorithms, to deal with the rolling contact mechanics.

The colloquium will address the scientific topics that contribute to the mechanical and computational challenges to handle rolling contact mechanics in the context of multibody dynamics. The reviewing of the classic theories in elastic and plastic contact, the computational algorithms for their efficient use in the framework of multibody dynamics applications, the tribology aspects characteristic of many of the mechanical systems of interest, the consequences of wear both in the response of the system and in the use of the background contact theories are just some of the aspects of relevance that justify a close loop.

The application of the theories, methods and algorithms, and their inherent numerical issues, to road and railway vehicle dynamics, mechanical systems with rolling elements, ball and roller bearings or biomechanical joints and systems are just few of the areas in which the overview of the computational methods associated to rolling contact mechanics are of major importance.

This Colloquium will bring together developers of different background and schools of thought and for the purpose of presentation, discussion, refinement of a comprehensive work on different methodologies. The foreseen participants constitute a diverse, but consistent, group of researchers, industry specialists, advanced students dealing with the methodological aspects of rolling contact mechanics and computational multibody dynamics.

Topics to be included:

▪ Elastic rolling contact
▪ Plastic rolling contact
▪ Multibody dynamics with rolling elements
▪ Rail-wheel contact
▪ Tyre-road contact
▪ Finite element analysis of rolling elements
▪ Tribology of rolling elements
▪ Biomechanics of natural joints
▪ Roller bearing contact dynamics
▪ Wear in rolling elements

The Colloquium will last 4 days, including the half-day reserved for a tour, during which the oral presentations and the roundtable discussions will take place. No poster or parallel sessions will be organized.