Richard W. Klopp, Ph.D., P.E.

Dr. Klopp specializes in mechanical engineering and the mechanics of materials. He has particular expertise in laboratory-based testing, mechanical design, failure analysis and prevention, and manufacturing. His mechanical engineering background includes extensive experience in machining; machinery; analysis of fasteners, gears, and bearings; power transmission; optical systems; metrology; and fluid handling components. His mechanics of materials background includes extensive experience in fracture mechanics, high strain rate deformation and failure, impact and shock wave loading, mechanical testing and optical measurement methods.

Dr. Klopp has applied his expertise to machine tools, industrial machinery, laser systems, automobiles, trucks, potable, fire protection, and wastewater system components, plumbing, computer equipment, electronic packaging, consumer products, medical equipment and medical devices, toys, recreational products, railroad tank cars, chemical storage tanks, underground tunnels, armor/antiarmor, and missile defense. Dr. Klopp has studied the mechanical behavior of metals, ceramics, rock, plastics, advanced composites, liquids and wood.

Dr. Klopp has provided consulting services on matters of industrial problem solving, product recalls, product defect litigation, intellectual property disputes, national defense, and insurance issues.

Dr. Klopp is a skilled machinist qualified to set up and operate machine tools such as lathes, milling machines and other shop equipment. His personal machine shop is equipped with a computer numerical control (CNC) milling machine, manual milling machine, toolroom lathe, grinders, and a wide variety of supporting tooling and equipment.

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Klopp was a Research Engineer at SRI International and worked as a Research Associate at Brown University.

Tokheim RE, Cooper T, Lew B, Klopp RW, Groethe MA, Peterson RR, Williamson D, Blanchard JP. Computational modeling of Z plasma-radiation-source debris. J Radiat Eff Res Eng 2004; 20(1).

Duffner DH, Klopp RW, Wagner-Jauregg A, Sire RA, Webster EM. Component damage from printed circuit board loading. Proceedings, IPC Printed Circuits Expo 2002, Long Beach, CA, IPC, pp. S12-4-1–S12-4-8, March 2002.

Kirkpatrick SW, Klopp RW. Hazard assessment for pressure tank cars involved in accidents. Proceedings, International Crashworthiness Conference (Icrash), London, UK, Chirwa EC and Otte D (eds), pp. 223–235, September 6–8, 2000.

Kobayashi T, Shockey DA, Schmidt CG, Klopp RW. Assessment of fatigue load spectrum from fracture surface topography. Int J Fatigue 1997; 19(1):S237–S244.

Klopp RW, Florence AL, Simons JW, Gran JK. Spherical Wave interaction with cylindrical holes in large limestone specimens. J de Physique IV, Colloque C8, supplément au Journal de Physique III, 1994; 4:735–740.

Klopp RW, Crocker JE. A dynamic fiber push-out test applied to metal-matrix composites. J de Physique IV, Colloque C8, supplément au Journal de Physique III 1994; 4:47–51.

Klopp RW, Crocker JE. Dynamic fracture behavior of SCS 6/Ti-15-3 metal-matrix composite. Int J Fract 1993; 61(R77–R83).

Klopp RW, Shockey DA. The strength behavior of granulated silicon carbide at high strain rates and confining pressure. J Appl Phys 1991; 70(12):7318–7326.

Giovanola JH, Klopp RW, Kirkpatrick, SW, McDonald WW. Dynamic fracture of welded joints. J. de Physique, Colloque C3; 1991 1(suppl. III):565-572.

Klopp RW, Shockey DA, Osher JE, Chau HH. Characteristics of hypervelocity impact debris clouds. Int J Impact Eng 1990; 10(1–4):323–335.

Klopp RW, Clifton RJ. Analysis of tilt in the high-strain-rate pressure-shear plate impact experiment. J Appl Phys 1990; 67(11):7171–7173.

Giovanola JH, Kobayashi T, Klopp RW, Gaines T, Arwood R. A note on dynamic displacement measurement using Hall Effect sensors. J Test Eval 1989; 17(3):196–200.

Klopp RW, Clifton RJ, Shawki T. Pressure-shear impact and the dynamic viscoplastic response of metals. Mech Mater 1985; 4(3&4):375–385.

Reports

Klopp RW, Kirkpatrick SW, Shockey DA. Damage assessment of tank cars involved in accidents: Phase II—modeling and validation. Final Report DOT/FRA/ORD-02/04, Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Research and Development, 2002.

Klopp RW, Shockey DA, Curran DR, Cooper T. A granular flow model for developing smart armor ceramics. Final Report to Army Research Office on Contract DAAH04-94-K-0001, January 1998.

Book Chapters

Kirkpatrick SW, Klopp RW. Risk assessment for damaged pressure tank cars. In: Computer Technology and Applications, PVP-Vol. 458. ASME, New York, NY, 2003.

Giovanola JH, Klopp RW, Crocker JE, Alexander DJ, Corwin WR, Nanstad RK. Using small cracked round bars to measure the fracture toughness of a pressure vessel steel weldment: A feasibility study. In: Small Specimen Test Techniques, ASTM STP 1329. Corwin WR, Rosinski ST, van Walle E (eds), ASTM, Philadelphia, PA, 1998.

Giovanola JH, Homma H, Lichtenberger M, Crocker JE, Klopp RW. Fracture toughness measurements using small cracked round bars. In: Constraint Effects in Fracture: Theory and Applications, ASTM STP 1244. Kirk M, Bakker A (eds), ASTM, Philadelphia, PA, 1994.

Klopp RW, Shockey DA, Seaman L, Curran DR, McGinn JT, de Resseguier T. A spherical cavity expansion experiment for characterizing penetration resistance of armor ceramics. In: Mechanical Testing of Ceramics and Ceramic Composites, AMD-Vol. 197. ASME, New York, NY, 1994.

Curran DR, Seaman L, Klopp RW, de Resseguier T, Kanazawa C. A granulated material model for quasibrittle solids. In: Fracture and Damage in Quasibrittle Structures. Bazant ZP, Bittnar Z, Jirásek M, Mazars J (eds), E.& F.N. Spon, London, 1994.

Clifton RJ, Klopp RW. Pressure-shear impact testing. In: Metals Handbook, Vol. 8, 9th Edition. ASM International, Metals Park, OH, 1985.

Presentations and Published Abstracts

Klopp RW, Curran DR, Shockey DA, Cooper T. A comminution model for penetration in ceramics. Proceedings, 14th U.S. Army Symposium on Solid Mechanics, Chou SC, Iyer K (eds), Myrtle Beach, SC, October 16–18, 1996.

Giovanola JH, Klopp RW, Touzé P. Microdamage observations in dynamically fractured Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al microstructures and preliminary modeling attempts. Proceeding, IUTAM Symposium on Micromechanics of Plasticity and Damage of Multiphase Materials, Pineau A, Zaoui A (eds), Sèvres, France, August 29–September 1, 1995, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 1996.

McGinn JT, Klopp RW, Shockey DA. Deformation and comminution of shock-loaded -Al2O3 in the Mescall zone of ceramic armor. Proceedings, Materials Research Society 1994 Fall Meeting, Symposium on Grain-Size and Mechanical Properties—Fundamentals and Applications, Grant NJ, Armstrong RW, Otooni MA, Baker TN, Ishizaki K (eds), Materials Research Society, Pittsburgh, PA, 1995.

Kirkpatrick SW, Curran DR, Erlich DC, Klopp RW. Three-dimensional analyses of plate impact experiments with circular and star geometries. In: Shock Waves in Condensed Matter, Proceedings, APS 91 Topical Conference, Williamsburg, VA, S.C. Schmidt, et al. (eds.). Elsevier, New York, NY, 1992.

Giovanola JH, Klopp RW, Simons JW. Effect of shear lips on dynamic crack propagation. In: Dynamic Fracture, Proceedings, OJI International Seminar on Dynamic Fracture, , Toyohashi, Japan, August 1–4, 1989.

Giovanola JH, Klopp RW, Shockey DA, Werner AT. Effect of microstructure and loading rate on the fracture behavior of Titanium–10V–2Fe–3Al. In: Advances in Fracture Research, Proceedings, 7th International Conference on Fracture (ICF7), Houston, TX, March 20–24, 1989.

• Research Engineer, SRI International Poulter Laboratory, 1987–1999
• Postdoctoral Fellow, SRI International Poulter Laboratory, 1986–1987
  

• American Society of Mechanical Engineers
• SPIE—The International Society for Optical Engineering
• ASM International—American Society for Metals
• American Water Works Association
• Society of Manufacturing Engineers