The papers in this volume integrate results from current research efforts in earthquake engineering with research from the larger risk assessment community. The authors include risk and hazard researchers from the major U.S. hazard and earthquake centers. The volume lays out a road map for future developments in risk modeling and decision support, and positions earthquake engineering research within the family of risk analysis tools and techniques.

This book focuses on structural characterisation techniques for porous materials. Covering a range of techniques, including gas sorption, mercury porosimetry, thermoporometry, NMR and imaging methods, this practical guide presents the basic theory behind each characterisation technique, and discusses the practicalities of the experimental and data analysis approaches needed for complex industrial samples. The book shows readers how to approach characterising a particular sort of material for the first time and then how to develop a strategy for more in-depth analysis. It also demonstrates how to determine the best techniques for solving particular problems, and describes methods of obtaining the required information, as well as the limitations of various methods. It particularly highlights a scientific approach involving parameter validation and simple acquisition. Featuring examples taken from case studies of real-world industrial materials, this book is intended for industrial practitioners and researchers. It provides a manual of potential techniques and answers questions concerning porous materials that arise in areas such as the catalyst industry, the oil and gas sector, batteries, fuel cells, tissue engineering scaffolds and drug delivery devices.

In recent times, the use of composites and functionally graded materials (FGMs) in structural applications has increased. FGMs allow the user to design materials for a specified functionality and therefore have numerous uses in structural engineering. However, the behaviour of these structures under high-impact loading is not well understood. Spectral Finite Element Method: Wave Propagation, Health Monitoring and Control in Composite and Functionally Graded Structures focuses on some of the wave propagation and transient dynamics problems with this complex media which had previously been thought unmanageable.

By using state-off-the-art computational power, the Spectral Finite Element Method (SFEM) can solve many practical engineering problems. This book is the first to apply SFEM to inhomogeneous and anisotropic structures in a unified and systematic manner. The authors discuss the different types of SFEM for regular and damaged 1-D and 2-D waveguides, various solution techniques, different methods of detecting the presence of damages and their locations, and different methods available to actively control the wave propagation responses. The theory is supported by tables, figures and graphs; all the numerical examples are so designed to bring out the essential wave behaviour in these complex structures. Some case studies based on real-world problems are also presented.

This book is intended for senior undergraduate students and graduate students studying wave propagation in structures, smart structures, spectral finite element method and structural health monitoring. Readers will gain a complete understanding of how to formulate a spectral finite element; learn about wavebehaviour in inhomogeneous and anisotropic media; and, discover how to design some diagnostic tools for monitoring the health or integrity of a structure. This important contribution to the engineering mechanics research community will also be of value to researchers and practicing engineers in structural integrity.

The last decades have witnessed the development of methods for solving struc tural reliability problems, which emerged from the efforts of numerous re searchers all over the world. For the specific and most common problem of determining the probability of failure of a structural system in which the limit state function g( x) = 0 is only implicitly known, the proposed methods can be grouped into two main categories: * Methods based on the Taylor expansion of the performance function g(x) about the most likely failure point (the design point), which is determined in the solution process. These methods are known as FORM and SORM (First- and Second Order Reliability Methods, respectively). * Monte Carlo methods, which require repeated calls of the numerical (nor mally finite element) solver of the structural model using a random real ization of the basic variable set x each time. In the first category of methods only SORM can be considered of a wide applicability. However, it requires the knowledge of the first and second deriva tives of the performance function, whose calculation in several dimensions either implies a high computational effort when faced with finite difference techniques or special programs when using perturbation techniques, which nevertheless require the use of large matrices in their computations. In or der to simplify this task, use has been proposed of techniques that can be regarded as variants of the Response Surface Method.

Synergistic integration of smart materials, structures, sensors, actuators and control electronics has redefined the concept of"structures" from a conventional passive elastic system to an active controllable structronic (structure +electronic) system with inherent self-sensing, diagnosis, and control capabilities. Such structronic systems can be used as components of high performance systems or can be an integrated structure itself performing designated functions and tasks. Due to the multidisciplinary nature of structronic systems their development has attracted researchers and scientists from theoretical and applied mechanics and many other disciplines, such as structures, materials, control, electronics, computers, mathematics, manufacturing, electromechanics, etc., see Figure I. This field was first introduced about mid-80 and it is quickly becoming a new emerging field recognized as one ofthe key technologies of 51 the 21 century. This new field focuses on not only multi-field and multi-discipline integrations, but has also enormous practical applications impacting many industries and enriching human living qualities. Structures (Systemill, Monitoring. . . ) (Non-homogeneous & Incompatible Structures) Electromechanics I StrucTranics I (SmartStructures) ___. I Mechanics (Solid, (Intelligent Structural Systems) Fracture, Fatigue. . . ) DynamicslKinematics & Vibration Figure I Multi-disciplinary integration ofstructronic systems. To reflect the rapid development in smart structures and structronic systems, the objective of the IUTAM 2000 Symposium on Smart Structures and Structronic Systems, the first IUTAM symposium in this new emerging area, is to provide a forum to discuss recent research advances and future directions or trends in this field.

The need for a comprehensive book on probabilistic structural mechanics that brings together the many analytical and computational methods developed over the years and their applications in a wide spectrum of industries-from residential buildings to nuclear power plants, from bridges to pressure vessels, from steel structures to ceramic structures-became evident from the many discussions the editor had with practising engineers, researchers and professors. Because no single individual has the expertise to write a book with such a di.verse scope, a group of 39 authors from universities, research laboratories, and industries from six countries in three continents was invited to write 30 chapters covering the various aspects of probabilistic structural mechanics. The editor and the authors believe that this handbook will serve as a reference text to practicing engineers, teachers, students and researchers. It may also be used as a textbook for graduate-level courses in probabilistic structural mechanics. The editor wishes to thank the chapter authors for their contributions. This handbook would not have been a reality without their collaboration.

This is the first book to integrate the theory, design, and stability analysis of plates and shells in one comprehensive volume. With authoritative accounts of diverse aspects of plates and shells, this volume facilitates the study and design of structures that incorporate both plate and shell components. Drawing on his extensive experience in plate and shell theory and design, the author introduces the principles and applications of bending of plates; membrane theory and bending of shells; and stability of plates and shells... explains the crucial elements of roof structure analysis and finite element formulations... explores topics of current interest, such as plastic design of plates and approximate solution of membrane stress in shells of revolution and in buckling of shells... and describes how to select design approaches according to the functional and safety requirements of specific structures. Each chapter demonstrates the principles, practical applications, and design of a plate or shell component using real-life examples, providing the reader with an in-depth, unified understanding of the theory and function of the component. Chapters are written to be as independent of each other as possible, to allow for selective reading on either plates or shells. In addition, the text is conveniently supplemented by appendices of Fourier Series and Bessel Functions. Integrating the fundamental and applied aspects of plate and shell theory, this volume serves as an essential text for graduate students and an easy-to-use reference for engineers in mechanical, civil, and aeronautical engineering.

Structural Synthesis in Precision Elasticity reflects the summary of theoretical and experimental studies whose conclusions are effective for optimized structural synthesis in precision elasticity, as well as demonstrate a large experience and options in the synthesis, production, application of precision elastic guides, mechanisms, correctors, transducers, instruments and machines. The main focus of this book is in the possible simplification of the corresponding analytical apparatus by using kinematical equivalents, matrix methods, appropriate contours, and function expansion with enough accurate minimal polynomials. This approach allows for substitution of some known unwieldy formulae and methods that are not convenient for digestible and tractable synthesis. The book consists of two main parts: the elastic systems functional analysis and structural synthesis methods, including effective approximations and references to the history of their development; and, the application and development of prevision functional elastic systems at reference and operating conditions, including the observation of archives with effective synthesized structures. recommendations. This book gives theoretical and practical tools to researchers, precision machines, instruments and miniature systems designers, engineers, metrologists, and engineering students. Despite that this book is dedicated to the general problems of the structural synthesis in precision elasticity, most of the practical examples and applications are concerned with the measuring systems as the precision is their main goal.The author intends to show close connection between the elastic precision structures developed during the 20th century, and even before and the new elastic systems for atomic for microscopy and other recently created advanced structures in precision elasticity.

This book provide a series of designs, materials, characterization and modeling, that will help create safer and stronger structures in coastal areas. The authors take a look at the different materials (porous, heterogeneous, concrete...), the moisture transfers in construction materials as well as the degradation caused by external attacks and put forth systems to monitor the structures or evaluate the performance reliability as well as degradation scenarios of coastal protection systems.

This Festschrift marks the retirement of Professor Chris Calladine, FRS after 42 years on the teaching staff of the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge. It contains a series of papers contributed by his former students, colleagues, and friends. Chris Calladine's research has ranged very widely across the field of struc tural mechanics, with a particular focus on the plastic deformation of solids and structures, and the behaviour of thin-shell structures. His insightful books on Engineering Plasticity and Theory of Shell Structures have been appreciated by many generations of students at Cambridge and elsewhere. His scientific contri bution outside engineering, in molecular structures, is at least as significant, and he is unique among engineers in having co-authored a book on DNA. Also, he has been keenly interested in the research of many students and colleagues, and on many occasions his quick grasp and physical insight have helped a student, and sometimes a colleague, find the nub of the problem without unnecessary effort. Many of the papers contained in this volume gratefully acknowledge this generous contribution. We thank Professor G. M. l. Gladwell for reading through all of the contri butions, Mrs R. Baxter and Mrs o. Constantinides for help in preparing this volume, Godfrey Argent Studio for permission to reproduce Calladine's por trait for the Royal Society, and Dr A. Schouwenburg -from Kluwer- for his assistance. Horace R. Drew Sergio Pellegrino ix CHRIS CALLADINE SOME THOUGHTS ON RESEARCH c. R."

This book serves as a textbook for advanced courses as it introduces state-of-the-art information and the latest research results on diverse problems in the structural wind engineering field. The topics include wind climates, design wind speed estimation, bluff body aerodynamics and applications, wind-induced building responses, wind, gust factor approach, wind loads on components and cladding, debris impacts, wind loading codes and standards, computational tools and computational fluid dynamics techniques, habitability to building vibrations, damping in buildings, and suppression of wind-induced vibrations. Graduate students and expert engineers will find the book especially interesting and relevant to their research and work.

This book contains the edited version of the lectures presented at the NATO Advanced Study Institute on computer-aided analysis of rigid and flexible mechanical systems, held in Troacuteia, Portugal, from June 27-July 9, 1993. The topics presented include formulations and numerical aspects of rigid and flexible multibody dynamics, object-oriented paradigms, optimal design and synthesis, robotics, kinematics, path planning, control, impact dynamics and aspects of application. The book discusses these topics in a tutorial and review manner, providing a comprehensive summary of current work. It should, therefore, be suitable for a range of readers, from advanced students to researchers and implementers.

On Fracture Mechanics A major objective of engineering design is the determination of the geometry and dimensions of machine or structural elements and the selection of material in such a way that the elements perform their operating function in an efficient, safe and economic manner. For this reason the results of stress analysis are coupled with an appropriate failure criterion. Traditional failure criteria based on maximum stress, strain or energy density cannot adequately explain many structural failures that occurred at stress levels considerably lower than the ultimate strength of the material. On the other hand, experiments performed by Griffith in 1921 on glass fibers led to the conclusion that the strength of real materials is much smaller, typically by two orders of magnitude, than the theoretical strength. The discipline of fracture mechanics has been created in an effort to explain these phenomena. It is based on the realistic assumption that all materials contain crack-like defects from which failure initiates. Defects can exist in a material due to its composition, as second-phase particles, debonds in composites, etc. , they can be introduced into a structure during fabrication, as welds, or can be created during the service life of a component like fatigue, environment-assisted or creep cracks. Fracture mechanics studies the loading-bearing capacity of structures in the presence of initial defects. A dominant crack is usually assumed to exist.

I I This book is intended to guide practicing structural engineers into more profitable routine designs with the AISC Load and Resistance Factor Design Specification (LRFD) for structural steel buildings. LRFD is a method of proportioning steel structures so that no applica ble limit state is exceeded when the structure is subjected to all appro priate factored load combinations. Strength limit states are related to safety, and concern maximum load carrying capacity, Serviceability limit states are related to performance under service load conditions such as deflections. The term "resistance" includes both strength states and serviceability limit states. LRFD is a new approach to the design of structural steel for buildings. It involves explicit consideration of limit states, multiple load factors and resistance factors, and implicit probabilistic determination of relia bility. The type of factoring used by LRFD differs from the allowable stress design of Chapters A through M of the 1989 Ninth Edition of the AISC Specifications for Allowable Stress Design, where only the resistance is divided by a factor of safety to obtain an allowable stress, and from the plastic design provisions of Chapter N, where the loads are multi plied by a common load factor of 1.7 for gravity loads and 1.3 for gravity loads acting with wind or seismic loads. LRFD offers the structural engineer greater flexibility, rationality, and economy than the previous 1989 Ninth Edition of the AISC Specifications for Allowable Stress Design."

Mechanical Properties of Polycarbonate: Experiment and Modeling for Aeronautical and Aerospace Applications provides a detailed description on experimental characterization, material modeling and finite element simulation method for polycarbonate in aeronautical and aerospace applications. The book presents the experiment facilities and methods used in characterizing the mechanical properties of polycarbonate in a large range of strain rates and temperatures. The constitutive modeling of polycarbonate and the finite element simulation of polycarbonate products under impact loading are illustrated in detail. Finally, an optimization methodology is devised to optimize the injection molding process parameters for high mechanical performance of the product under impact loading.

Steel frames are used in many commercial high-rise buildings, as well as industrial structures, such as ore mines and oilrigs. Enabling construction of ever lighter and safer structures, steel frames have become an important topic for engineers.

This book, split into two parts covering advanced analysis and advanced design of steel frames, guides the reader from a broad array of frame elements through to advanced design methods such as deterministic, reliability, and system reliability design approaches. This book connects reliability evaluation of structural systems to advanced analysis of steel frames, and ensures that the steel frame design described is founded on system reliability.

Important features of the this book include: fundamental equations governing the elastic and elasto-plastic equilibrium of beam, sheer-beam, column, joint-panel, and brace elements for steel frames; analysis of elastic buckling, elasto-plastic capacity and earthquake-excited behaviour of steel frames; background knowledge of more precise analysis and safer design of steel frames against gravity and wind, as well as key discussions on seismic analysis. theoretical treatments, followed by numerous examples and applications; a review of the evolution of structural design approaches, and reliability-based advanced analysis, followed by the methods and procedures for how to establish practical design formula.

Advanced Design and Analysis of Steel Frames provides students, researchers, and engineers with an integrated examination of this core civil and structural engineering topic. The logical treatment of both advanced analysis followed by advanced design makes this an invaluable reference tool, comprising of reviews, methods, procedures, examples, and applications of steel frames in one complete volume.

This book assembles, identifies and highlights the most recent developments in Rehabilitation and retrofitting of historical and heritage structures. This is an issue of paramount importance in countries with great built cultural heritage that also suffer from high seismicity, such as the countries of the eastern Mediterranean basin. Heritage structures range from traditional residential constructions to monumental structures, ancient temples, towers, castles, etc. It is generally recognized that these structures present particular difficulties in seismic response calculation through computer simulation due to the complexity of the structural system which is, generally, inhomogeneous, with several contact problems, gaps/joints, nonlinearities and brittleness in material constituents. This book contains selected papers from the ECCOMAS Thematic Conferences on Computational Methods in Structural Dynamics & Earthquake Engineering (COMPDYN) that were held in Corfu, Greece in 2011 and Kos, Greece in 2013. The Conferences brought together the scientific communities of Computational Mechanics, Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering in an effort to facilitate the exchange of ideas in topics of mutual interest and to serve as a platform for establishing links between research groups with complementary activities.

The availability of computers has, in real terms, moved forward the practice of structural engineering. Where it was once enough to have any analysis given a complex configuration, the profession today is much more demanding. How engineers should be more demanding is the subject of this book. In terms of the theory of structures, the importance of geometric nonlinearities is explained by the theorem which states that "In the presence of prestress, geometric nonlinearities are of the same order of magnitude as linear elastic effects in structures. " This theorem implies that in most cases (in all cases of incremental analysis) geometric nonlinearities should be considered. And it is well known that problems of buckling, cable nets, fabric structures, ... REQUIRE the inclusion of geometric nonlinearities. What is offered in the book which follows is a unified approach (for both discrete and continuous systems) to geometric nonlinearities which incidentally does not require a discussion of large strain. What makes this all work is perturbation theory. Let the equations of equilibrium for a system be written as where P represents the applied loads, F represents the member forces or stresses, and N represents the operator which describes system equilibrium.

This contributed volume encompasses contributions by eminent researchers in the field of geotechnical engineering. The chapters of this book are based on the keynote and sub-theme lectures delivered at the Indian Geotechnical Conference 2017. The book provides a comprehensive overview of the current state-of-the-art research and practices in different domains of geotechnical engineering in the areas of soil dynamics, earth retaining structures, ground improvement, and geotechnical and geophysical investigations. It will serve as an ideal resource for academics, researchers, practicing professionals, and students alike.

This book explores the meta-heuristics approach called tabu search, which is dramatically changing our ability to solve a host of problems that stretch over the realms of resource planning, telecommunications, VLSI design, financial analysis, scheduling, space planning, energy distribution, molecular engineering, logistics, pattern classification, flexible manufacturing, waste management, mineral exploration, biomedical analysis, environmental conservation and scores of other problems. The major ideas of tabu search are presented with examples that show their relevance to multiple applications. Numerous illustrations and diagrams are used to clarify principles that deserve emphasis, and that have not always been well understood or applied. The book's goal is to provide hands-on' knowledge and insight alike, rather than to focus exclusively either on computational recipes or on abstract themes. This book is designed to be useful and accessible to researchers and practitioners in management science, industrial engineering, economics, and computer science. It can appropriately be used as a textbook in a masters course or in a doctoral seminar. Because of its emphasis on presenting ideas through illustrations and diagrams, and on identifying associated practical applications, it can also be used as a supplementary text in upper division undergraduate courses. Finally, there are many more applications of tabu search than can possibly be covered in a single book, and new ones are emerging every day. The book's goal is to provide a grounding in the essential ideas of tabu search that will allow readers to create successful applications of their own. Along with the essential ideas, understanding of advanced issues is provided, enabling researchers to go beyond today's developments and create the methods of tomorrow.

This book offers an integrated introduction to the topic of stability and vibration. Strikingly, it describes stability as a function of boundary conditions and eigenfrequency as a function of both boundary conditions and column force. Based on a post graduate course held by the author at the University of Southern Denmark, it reports on fundamental formulas and makes uses of graphical representation to promote understanding. Thanks to the emphasis put on analytical methods and numerical results, the book is meant to make students and engineers familiar with all fundamental equations and their derivation, thus stimulating them to write interactive and dynamic programs to analyze instability and vibrational modes.

This book discusses analytical tools for designing energy efficient and lightweight structures that embody the concept of tensegrity. The book provides both static and dynamic analysis of special tensegrity structural concepts, which are motivated by biological material architecture. This is the first book written to attempt to integrate structure and control design.