ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

brought me here. I hope tha I can repay you someday for the sacrifices you made for me. All that I am or will become came from you and to you it will return. I have come across many people during my carreer and the development of this project. They have all contributed in their own manner to shape me as a better person and engineer. The list falls short, this can only mean that a lot of people have affected positively in my life. In particular I would like to thank my advisor, Prof. Dr. Manuel J. Garcia, his support and guidance changed my perspective on science and engineering, he also nurtured the desire to pursue my goals. Prof. Dr. Pierre Boulanger, for his guidance, and opinions about science, engineering and life encouraged my work on this field. Eng. Juan Duque, his solid work helped me tremendously in the development of this project, yet his company and personality made the workload feel lighter. To all the staff of the AMMI Lab and the Applied Mechanics Lab, we have come a long way in such short time. This can only be a sample of the great things to come, keep science fun. To all my friends, wherever they are, again the list falls incredibly short, then I fee