model. They conclude that the models using three fitting parameters provide the best fit over a wide range of suctions. Models for soil-water characteristic curves are only useful if we have experimental data on which to base them. Agus, Leong and Rahardjo (Singapore) present a large number of experimental soil-water characteristic curves determined for two types of residual soil from Sigapore. They present data for eight different sites. This data set allows them to relate the parameters of the soil-water characteristic curves to index properties. They conclude that the relationships derived are suitable to pro vide a quick preliminary estimate of a soil-water characteristic curve. The importance of soil-water characteristic curves is emphasized by another con tribution dealing with this topic. Aung, Rahardjo, Leong and Toll (Singapore) inves tigate the relationship between mercury intrusion porosimetry measurements and soil-water characteristic curves. The porosimetry measurements are presented as soil-air characteristic curves. The slopes of the soil-air characteristic curves are found to be similar to the slopes of the soil-water characteristic curves. The equiv alent pore diameters calculated from the mercury entry value and the air entry value appear to be related. Therefore, it is suggested that porosimetry data can be used to construct an estimate of the soil-water characteristic curve."

The contributions in this book were presented at the sixth international symposium on Advances in Robot Kinematics organised in June/July 1998 in Strobl/Salzburg in Austria. The preceding symposia of the series took place in Ljubljana (1988), Linz (1990), Ferrara (1992), Ljubljana (1994), and Piran (1996). Ever since its first event, ARK has attracted the most outstanding authors in the area and managed to create a perfect combination of professionalism and friendly athmosphere. We are glad to observe that, in spite of a strong competition of many international conferences and meetings, ARK is continuing to grow in terms of the number of participants and in terms of its scientific impact. In its ten years, ARK has contributed to develop a remarkable scientific community in the area of robot kinematics. The last four symposia were organised under the patronage of the International Federation for the Theory of Machines and Mechanisms -IFToMM. interest to researchers, doctoral students and teachers, The book is of engineers and mathematicians specialising in kinematics of robots and mechanisms, mathematical modelling, simulation, design, and control of robots. It is divided into sections that were found as the prevalent areas of the contemporary kinematics research. As it can easily be noticed, an important part of the book is dedicated to various aspects of the kinematics of parallel mechanisms that persist to be one of the most attractive areas of research in robot kinematics.

This monograph is devoted to nonlinear dynamics of thin plates and shells with thermosensitive excitation. Because of the variety of sizes and types of mathematical models in current use, there is no prospect of solving them analytically. However, the book emphasizes a rigorous mathematical treatment of the obtained differential equations, since it helps efficiently in further developing of various suitable numerical algorithms to solve the stated problems.

Servo Motors and Industrial Control Theory presents the fundamentals of servo motors and control theory in a manner that is accessible to undergraduate students, as well as practitioners who may need updated information on the subject. Graphical methods for classical control theory have been replaced with examples using mathematical software, such as MathCad and MatLab, to solve real-life engineering control problems. State variable feedback control theory, which is generally not introduced until the Masters level, is introduced clearly and simply for students to approach complicated problems and examples.

A Solid Introduction to Sound and Vibration: No Formal Background Needed This Second Edition of Fundamentals of Sound and Vibration covers the physical, mathematical and technical foundations of sound and vibration at audio frequencies. It presents Acoustics, vibration, and the associated signal processing at a level suitable for graduate students or practicing engineers with having no prior formal training in the field. The book is a coherent textbook based on the first semester of the master's program in Sound and Vibration Studies at the internationally acclaimed Institute of Sound and Vibration Research at the University of Southampton. New in the Second Edition: The latest edition has been extensively revised and updated, with a new introductory chapter and new chapters on the measurement of sound and vibration. Other chapters include fundamentals of acoustics, fundamentals of vibration, signal processing, noise control, human response to sound and human response to vibration; many of these have been substantially revised. Example problems and answers for self-study are included. The revised text: Offers a brief summary on the importance of sound and vibration Considers the vibration of mechanical structures, ranging from simple SDOF models to continuous systems Highlights the aspects of signal processing commonly used for data analysis Addresses engineering noise control, and more Fundamentals of Sound and Vibration, Second Edition provides you with broad coverage of sound, vibration and signal processing in a single volume, and serves as a reference for both graduate students and practicing engineers.

Space flight is a comprehensive and innovative part of technology. It encompasses many fields of technology. This monograph presents a cross section of the total field of expertise that is called space flight .

It provides insight into the design, construction and analysis aspects of spacecraft. Spacecraft includes satellites as well as launch vehicles, with a distinction between manned or unmanned. The International Space Station (ISS), Russian

MIR, the American shuttle and the European Spacelab are examples of manned space flight, whereas communication satellites for radio and television and meteorological satellites are examples of unmanned space flight.

The Emphasis of this book is put on unmanned space flight, particularly on the construction of spacecraft rather than the construction of launch vehicles. The nature of the satellite is dependent on the task that is set for that satellite."

Compiling the expertise of nine pioneers of the field, Magnetic Bearings - Theory, Design, and Application to Rotating Machinery offers an encyclopedic study of this rapidly emerging field with a balanced blend of commercial and academic perspectives. Every element of the technology is examined in detail, beginning at the component level and proceeding through a thorough exposition of the design and performance of these systems.

The book is organized in a logical fashion, starting with an overview of the technology and a survey of the range of applications. A background chapter then explains the central concepts of active magnetic bearings while avoiding a morass of technical details. From here, the reader continues to a meticulous, state-of-the-art exposition of the component technologies and the manner in which they are assembled to form the AMB/rotor system. These system models and performance objectives are then tied together through extensive discussions of control methods for both rigid and flexible rotors, including consideration of the problem of system dynamics identification. Supporting this, the issues of system reliability and fault management are discussed from several useful and complementary perspectives. At the end of the book, numerous special concepts and systems, including micro-scale bearings, self-bearing motors, and self-sensing bearings, are put forth as promising directions for new research and development.

Newcomers to the field will find the material highly accessible while veteran practitioners will be impressed by the level of technical detail that emerges from a combination of sophisticated analysis and insights gleaned from many collective years of practical experience. An exhaustive, self-contained text on active magnetic bearing technology, this book should be a core reference for anyone seeking to understand or develop systems using magnetic bearings.

This book presents theoretical fundamentals and applications of a new numerical model that has the ability to simulate wave propagation. Coverage examines linear waves in ideal fluids and elastic domains. In addition, the book includes a numerical simulation of wave propagation based on scalar and vector wave equations, as well as fluid-structure interaction and soil-structure interaction.

This monograph presents the mechanics of vibration, buckling and bending of elastic structures with inclined members such as x-braced high rise frames and conical shells. More than giving detailed derivations of basic equations, Mechanics of Elastic Structures with Inclined Members is mainly oriented towards practical problem-solving. The book can be used as a textbook for graduate students concentrating on structural mechanics, or as a reference book for engineers and researchers in the fields of engineering mechanics, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, and aerospace engineering.

This volume presents the Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Vibration Problems, held in Istanbul, Turkey, September 5-9, 2005. The main objective being to stimulate a broad interdisciplinary research. The topics covered in the book vary from the effect of ground motion on the stochastic response of suspension bridges to coupling effects between different vibrations in rotor-blade systems.

Tensegrity Systems discusses analytical tools to design energy efficient and lightweight structures employing the concept of tensegrity. This word is Buckminister Fuller's contraction of the words Tensile and Integrity, which suggests that integrity or, as we would say, stability of the structure comes from tension. In a tensegrity structure the rigid bodies (the bars) might not have any contact, thus providing extraordinary freedom to control shape, by controlling only tendons. This book will provide both static and dynamic analysis of special tensegrity structural concepts, which are motivated by biological material architecture. This will be the first book written to attempt to integrate structure and control design. All other books on structure design and books on control design assume these are independent topics, but performance can be greatly improved if the dynamics of the structure and the dynamics of the controls are coordinated to reduce the control efforts required to accomplish the system performance requirements."

Engineering the Guitar: Theory and Practice uniquely describes the mechanics of the guitar for engineers and craftsmen alike. Complete with informative illustrations, this popular musical volume describes the underlying mechanical concepts behind the guitar, supported by theory and test. A detailed description of guitar electronics paired with an analysis of sound quality appeals to scientific audiences as well as musicians technically apt. Readers will gain an understanding of the technical behavior of the instrument with respect to structural and component dynamics, in addition to the informative treatment of analytical models. Hand made and mass produced techniques are also examined in a chapter devoted to manufacturing processes.

Audiences interested in mechanics, acoustics, and instrument making will find Engineering the Guitar: Theory and Practice an informative and enjoyable read.

Structure-Borne Sound" is a thorough introduction to structural vibrations with emphasis on audio frequencies and the associated radiation of sound. The book presents in-depth discussions of fundamental principles and basic problems, in order to enable the reader to understand and solve his own problems. It includes chapters dealing with measurement and generation of vibrations and sound, various types of structural wave motion, structural damping and its effects, impedances and vibration responses of the important types of structures, as well as with attenuation of vibrations, and sound radiation from structures. For the third edition, the author fundamentally revised and newly organized the contents of the work. Nevertheless, the intention has been to preserve the style of the previous editions, namely to focus on the fundamentals enabling the reader to analyse further problems.

Civil infrastructure systems are generally the most expensive assets in any country, and these systems are deteriorating at an alarming rate. In addition, these systems have a long service life in comparison to most other commercial products. As well, the introduction of intelligent materials and innovative design approaches in these systems is painfully slow due to heavy relianceon traditional construction and maintenance practices, and the conservative nature of design codes. Feedback on the "state of the health" of constructed systems is practically nonexistent. In the quest for lighter, stronger and corrosion-resistant structures, the replacement of ferrous materials by high-strength fibrous ones is being actively pursued in several countries around the world, both with respect to the design of new structures as well as for the rehabilitation and strengthening of existing ones. In North America, active research in the design of new highway bridges is focused on a number of specialty areas, including the replacement of steel reinforcing bars in concrete deck slabs by randomly distributed low-modulus fibers, and the replacement of steel prestressing cables for concrete components by tendons comprising super-strong fibers. Research is also being conducted on using FRPs to repair and strengthen existing structures.

The IUTAM Symposium on Flow in Collapsible Tubes and Past Other Highly Compliant Boundaries was held on 26-30 March, 2001, at the University of Warwick. As this was the first scientific meeting of its kind we considered it important to mark the occasion by producing a book. Accordingly, at the end of the Symposium the Scientific Committee met to discuss the most appropriate format for the book. We wished to avoid the format of the conventional conference book consisting of a large number of short articles of varying quality. It was agreed that instead we should produce a limited number of rigorously refereed and edited articles by selected participants who would aim to sum up the state of the art in their particular research area. The outcome is the present book. Peter W. Ca rpenter, Warwick Timothy J. Pedley, Cambridge May, 2002. VB SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE Co-Chair: P.W. Carpenter, Engineering, Warwiek, UK Co-Chair: TJ. Pedley, DAMTP, Cambridge, UK V.V. Babenko, Hydromechanics, Kiev, Ukraine R. Bannasch, Bionik & Evolutionstechnik, TU Berlin, Germany C.D. Bertram, Biomedical Engineering, New South Wales, Australia M. Gad-el-Hak, Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering, Notre Dame, USA J.B. Grotberg, Biomedical Engineering, Michigan, USA. R.D. Kamm, Mechanical Engineering, MIT, USA Y. Matsuzaki, Aerospace Engineering, N agoya, Japan P.K. Sen, Applied Mechanics, IIT Delhi, India L. van Wijngaarden, Twente, Netherlands K-S. Yeo, Mechanical Engineering, NU Singapore.

This is the first book of robotics presenting solutions of uncoupled and fully-isotropic parallel robotic manipulators and a method for their structural synthesis. Part 1 presents the methodology proposed for structural synthesis. Part 2 presents the various topologies of parallel robots generated by this systematic approach. Many solutions are presented here for the first time. The book will contribute to a widespread implementation of these solutions in industrial products.

"Neural Network-Based State Estimation of Nonlinear Systems" presents efficient, easy to implement neural network schemes for state estimation, system identification, and fault detection and Isolation with mathematical proof of stability, experimental evaluation, and Robustness against unmolded dynamics, external disturbances, and measurement noises.

This second edition of Precision Motion Control focuses on enabling technologies for precision engineering. It has been extensively edited and rewritten throughout with the following particular areas being expanded or added:

piezoelectric actuators

fine movement control

gantry-stage control

interpolation of quadrature encoder signals

geometrical error modeling for single-, dual- and general-XY-axis stages."

This book presents a coherent framework for understanding the dynamics of piecewise-smooth and hybrid systems. An informal introduction expounds the ubiquity of such models via numerous. The results are presented in an informal style, and illustrated with many examples. The book is aimed at a wide audience of applied mathematicians, engineers and scientists at the beginning postgraduate level. Almost no mathematical background is assumed other than basic calculus and algebra.

This book presents comprehensive and authoritative coverage of the wide field of concentrated vortices observed in nature and technique. The methods for research of their kinematics and dynamics are considered. Special attention is paid to the flows with helical symmetry. The authors have described models of vortex structures used for interpretation of experimental data which serve as a ground for development of theoretical and numerical approaches to vortex investigation.

This book concentrates on the nonlinear static and dynamic analysis of structures and structural components that are widely used in everyday engineering applications. It presents unique methods for nonlinear problems which permits the correct usage of powerful linear methods. Every topic is thoroughly explained and includes numerical examples. The new concepts, theories and methods introduced simplify the solution of the complex nonlinear problems.

Parametric Resonance in Dynamical Systems discusses the phenomenon of parametric resonance and its occurrence in mechanical systems, vehicles, motorcycles, aircraft and marine craft, along micro-electro-mechanical systems. The contributors provides an introduction to the root causes of this phenomenon and its mathematical equivalent, the Mathieu-Hill equation. Also included is a discussion of how parametric resonance occurs on ships and offshore systems, and its frequency in mechanical and electrical systems. This volume is ideal for researchers and mechanical engineers working in application fields such as MEMS, maritime, aircraft and ground vehicle engineering.

In this edited book various novel approaches to problems of modern civil engineering are demonstrated. Experts associated within the Lagrange Laboratory present recent research results in civil engineering dealing both with modelling and computational aspects. Many modern topics are covered, such as monumental dams, soil mechanics and geotechnics, granular media, contact and friction problems, damage and fracture, new structural materials, and vibration damping - presenting the state of the art of mechanical modelling and computational issues in civil engineering.

This book presents up-to-date knowledge of dynamic analysis and its applications in engineering world. It covers the relevant topics in analytical, numerical and experimental aspects. To facilitate the understanding of the topics by readers with various backgrounds, general principles are linked to their applications from different angles. Special interesting topics such as statistics of motions and dynamic loading, damping modeling and measurement, nonlinear dynamics, finite element analysis, computer systems for calculation efficiency, structural health monitoring and human body vibrations etc., are also presented. The target readers include industry professionals in civil, marine and mechanical engineering as well as researchers and students in this area.

Too often the Eartha (TM)s surface acted as a divide between seismologists and engineers. Now it is becoming clear that the building behaviour largely depends on the seismic input and the buildings on their turn act as seismic sources, in an intricate interplay that non-linear phenomena make even more complex. These phenomena are often the cause of observed damage enhancement during past earthquakes. While research may pursue complex models to fully understand soil dynamics under seismic loading, we need also simple models valid on average, whose results can be easily transferred to end users.

Under the title a oeIncreasing Seismic Safety by Combining Engineering Technologies and Seismological Dataa, we grouped several topics to be discussed together by engineers and seismologists: (1) Can we use ambient noise building and soil characterisation to extract useful information for engineers? (2) How we can tell apart a frequency decrease due to distributed damage, concentrated damage, time- varying building and soil behaviour? (3) Which is the role of transients in ambient noise analysis? (4) Can we quantify the influence of existing buildings on ground-motion recordings? (5) To which extent soil-building resonance is a cause of damage enhancement? (6) How to couple soil and building non-linear behaviour?

On most questions there is an unanimous answer, but in some cases different views are present and the disagreement is faithfully reported.