Methods and applications of digital volume correlation

Digital volume correlation, an experimental method for volumetric strain measurement, has experienced a growth in technique development and application since its introduction in 1999. This has largely been the result of more accessible volumetric imaging methods and greater speed and capacity of computational facilities. This paper reviews recent work using the method and presents examples from the author's laboratory. The emerging message is that, although closely related to the surface-oriented method of digital image correlation, the volume method is distinct due to its predominant reliance on naturally occurring image texture for displacement tracking. This requires careful tuning for successful application with different materials, and therefore the appropriate focus should not be on developing the ‘best’ digital volume correlation method, but on developing a set of tools that can be selected from and adjusted to specific mechanics problems.