At the dawn of the 21st century, computational stochastic dynamics is an emerging research frontier. This book focuses on advanced computational methods and software tools which can highly assist in tackling complex problems in stochastic dynamic/seismic analysis and design of structures. The book is primarily intended for researchers and post-graduate students in the fields of computational mechanics and stochastic structural dynamics. Nevertheless, practice engineers as well could benefit from it as most code provisions tend to incorporate probabilistic concepts in the analysis and design of structures. The book addresses mathematical and numerical issues in stochastic structural dynamics and connects them to real-world applications. It consists of 16 chapters dealing with recent advances in a wide range of related topics (dynamic response variability and reliability of stochastic systems, risk assessment, stochastic simulation of earthquake ground motions, efficient solvers for the analysis of stochastic systems, dynamic stability, stochastic modelling of heterogeneous materials). Numerical examples demonstrating the significance of the proposed methods are presented in each chapter.

Hereditary systems (or systems with either delay or after-effects) are widely used to model processes in physics, mechanics, control, economics and biology. An important element in their study is their stability. Stability conditions for difference equations with delay can be obtained using a Lyapunov functional.
Lyapunov Functionals and Stability of Stochastic Difference Equations describes a general method of Lyapunov functional construction to investigate the stability of discrete- and continuous-time stochastic Volterra difference equations. The method allows the investigation of the degree to which the stability properties of differential equations are preserved in their difference analogues.
The text is self-contained, beginning with basic definitions and the mathematical fundamentals of Lyapunov functional construction and moving on from particular to general stability results for stochastic difference equations with constant coefficients. Results are then discussed for stochastic difference equations of linear, nonlinear, delayed, discrete and continuous types. Examples are drawn from a variety of physical systems including inverted pendulum control, study of epidemic development, Nicholson s blowflies equation and predator prey relationships.
Lyapunov Functionals and Stability of Stochastic Difference Equations is primarily addressed to experts in stability theory but will also be of use in the work of pure and computational mathematicians and researchers using the ideas of optimal control to study economic, mechanical and biological systems.

This open access book focuses on investigating predicting precursor information and key points of rockburst in mining engineering through laboratory experiment, theoretical analysis, numerical simulation and case studies. Understanding the evolution patterns for the microstructure instability of rock is a prerequisite for rockburst prediction. The book provides a guide for readers seeking to understand the evolution patterns for the microstrucure of rock failure, the predicting key point of rock failure and the rockburst predicting model. It will be an essential reference to understand mechanism of rockburst and sheds new light on dynamic disasters prediction. Chapters are carefully developed to cover (1) The evolution patterns for the microstructure instability of rock; (2) Rockburst hazard monitoring and predicting criterion and predicting models. The book addresses the issue with a holistic and systematic approach that investigates the occurrence mechanism of rockburst based on the evolution patterns for the microstructure of rock failure and establishes the predicting model of rockburst. This book will be of interest to researchers of mining engineering, rock mechanics engineering and safety engineering.

Joining techniques in engineering are of major importance. Innovations in the field of composites now allows design of nanomaterials with tailored properties. This book adresses techniques for similar and dissimilar joining, characterization of joint structures and damage prediction by simulation. A special focus is laid on welding of lightweight structures, which are of special economic interest for aeronautical and automotive applications.

This distinctive textbook aims to introduce readers to the basic structures of the mechanics of deformable bodies, with a special emphasis on the description of the elastic behavior of simple materials and structures composed by elastic beams. The authors take a deductive rather than inductive approach and start from a few first, foundational principles. A wide selection of exercises, many with hints and solutions, are provided throughout and organized in a way that will allow readers to form a link between abstract mathematical concepts and real-world applications. The text begins with the definition of bodies and deformations, keeping the kinematics of rigid bodies as a special case; the authors also distinguish between material and spatial metrics, defining each one in the pertinent space. Subsequent chapters cover observers and classes of possible changes; forces, torques, and related balances, which are derived from the invariance under classical changes in observers of the power of the external actions over a body, rather than postulated a priori; constitutive structures; variational principles in linear elasticity; the de Saint-Venant problem; yield criteria and a discussion of their role in the representation of material behavior; and an overview of some bifurcation phenomena, focusing on the Euler rod. An appendix on tensor algebra and tensor calculus is included for readers who need a brief refresher on these topics. Fundamentals of the Mechanics of Solids is primarily intended for graduate and advanced undergraduate students in various fields of engineering and applied mathematics. Prerequisites include basic courses in calculus, mathematical analysis, and classical mechanics.

This book develops a uniform accurate method which is capable of dealing with vibrations of laminated beams, plates and shells with arbitrary boundary conditions including classical boundaries, elastic supports and their combinations. It also provides numerous solutions for various configurations including various boundary conditions, laminated schemes, geometry and material parameters, which fill certain gaps in this area of reach and may serve as benchmark solutions for the readers. For each case, corresponding fundamental equations in the framework of classical and shear deformation theory are developed. Following the fundamental equations, numerous free vibration results are presented for various configurations including different boundary conditions, laminated sequences and geometry and material properties. The proposed method and corresponding formulations can be readily extended to static analysis.

With rapid economic and industrial development in China, India and elsewhere, fluid-related structural vibration and noise problems are widely encountered in many fields, just as they are in the more developed parts of the world, causing increasingly grievous concerns. Turbulence clearly has a significant impact on many such problems. On the other hand, new opportunities are emerging with the advent of various new technologies, such as signal processing, flow visualization and diagnostics, new functional materials, sensors and actuators, etc. These have revitalized interdisciplinary research activities, and it is in this context that the 2nd symposium on fluid-structure-sound interactions and control (FSSIC) was organized. Held in Hong Kong (May 20-21, 2013) and Macau (May 22-23, 2013), the meeting brought together scientists and engineers working in all related branches from both East and West and provided them with a forum to exchange and share the latest progress, ideas and advances and to chart the frontiers of FSSIC.

"The Proceedings of the 2nd Symposium on Fluid-Structure-Sound Interactions and Control" largely focuses on advances in the theory, experimental research and numerical simulations of turbulence in the contexts of flow-induced vibration, noise and their control. This includes several practical areas for interaction, such as the aerodynamics of road and space vehicles, marine and civil engineering, nuclear reactors and biomedical science etc. One of the particular features of these proceedings is that it integrates acoustics with the study of flow-induced vibration, which is not a common practice but is scientifically very helpful in understanding, simulating and controlling vibration. This offers a broader view of the discipline from which readers will benefit greatly.

These proceedings are intended for academics, research scientists, design engineers and graduate students in engineering fluid dynamics, acoustics, fluid and aerodynamics, vibration, dynamical systems and control etc.

Yu Zhou is a professor in Institute for Turbulence-Noise-Vibration Interaction and Control at Harbin Institute of Technology. Yang Liu is an associate professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Lixi Huang, associate professor, works at the University of Hong Kong. Professor Dewey H. Hodges works at the School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology.

"The mathematical investigations referred to bring the whole apparatus of a great science to the examination of the properties of a given mechanism, and have accumulated in this direction rich material, of enduring and increasing value. What is left unexamined is however the other, immensely deeper part of the problem, the question: How did the mechanism, or the elements of which it is composed, originate? What laws govern its building up? Is it indeed formed according to any laws whatever? Or have we simply to accept as data what invention gives us, the analysis of what is thus obtained being the only scientific problem left - as in the case of natural history?" Reuleaux, F., Theoretische Kinematik, Braunschweig: Vieweg, 1875 Reuleaux, F., The Kinematics of Machinery, London: Macmillan, 1876 and New York: Dover, 1963 (translated by A.B.W. Kennedy) This book represents the second part of a larger work dedicated to the structural synthesis of parallel robots. Part 1 already published in 2008 (Gogu 2008a) has presented the methodology proposed for structural synthesis. This book focuses on various topologies of translational parallel robots systematically generated by using the structural synthesis approach proposed in Part 1. The originality of this work resides in the fact that it combines the new formulae for mobility connectivity, redundancy and overconstraints, and the evolutionary morphology in a unified approach of structural synthesis giving interesting innovative solutions for parallel mechanisms.

This report presents the Round-Robin (RR) program and test results including a statistical evaluation of the RILEM TC195-DTD committee named "Recommendation for test methods for autogenous deformation (AD) and thermal dilation (TD) of early age concrete". The task of the committee was to investigate the linear test set-up for AD and TD measurements (Dilation Rigs) in the period from setting to the end of the hardening phase some weeks after. These are the stress-inducing deformations in a hardening concrete structure subjected to restraint conditions. The main task was to carry out an RR program on testing of AD of one concrete at 20 DegreesC isothermal conditions in Dilation Rigs. The concrete part materials were distributed to 10 laboratories (Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and USA), and in total 30 tests on AD were carried out. Some supporting tests were also performed, as well as a smaller RR on cement paste. The committee has worked out a test procedure recommendation which is reported separately and submitted acceptance as a RILEM method.

This book compiles solutions of linear theory of elasticity problems for isotropic and anisotropic bodies with sharp and rounded notches. It contains an overview of established and recent achievements, and presents the authors' original solutions in the field considered with extensive discussion. The volume demonstrates through numerous, useful examples the effectiveness of singular integral equations for obtaining exact solutions of boundary problems of the theory of elasticity for bodies with cracks and notches. Incorporating analytical and numerical solutions of the problems of stress concentrations in solid bodies with crack-like defects, this volume is ideal for scientists and PhD students dealing with the problems of theory of elasticity and fracture mechanics.

This book presents a novel, generalized approach to the design of nonlinear state feedback control laws for a large class of underactuated mechanical systems based on application of the block backstepping method. The control law proposed here is robust against the effects of model uncertainty in dynamic and steady-state performance and addresses the issue of asymptotic stabilization for the class of underactuated mechanical systems. An underactuated system is defined as one for which the dimension of space spanned by the configuration vector is greater than that of the space spanned by the control variables. Control problems concerning underactuated systems currently represent an active field of research due to their broad range of applications in robotics, aerospace, and marine contexts. The book derives a generalized theory of block backstepping control design for underactuated mechanical systems, and examines several case studies that cover interesting examples of underactuated mechanical systems. The mathematical derivations are described using well-known notations and simple algebra, without the need for any special previous background in higher mathematics. The chapters are lucidly described in a systematic manner, starting with control system preliminaries and moving on to a generalized description of the block backstepping method, before turning to several case studies. Simulation and experimental results are also provided to aid in reader comprehension.

During the last decade significant progress has been made in the field of ship stability. Yet in spite of the progress made, numerous scientific and practical challenges still exist with regard to the accurate prediction of extreme motion and capsize dynamics for intact and damaged vessels, the probabilistic nature of extreme events, criteria that properly reflect the physics and operational safety of an intact or damaged vessel, and ways to provide relevant information on safe ship handling to ship operators. This book provides a comprehensive review of the above issues through the selection of representative papers presented at the unique series of international workshops and conferences on ship stability held between 2000 and 2009. The editorial committee has selected papers for this book from the following events: STAB 2000 Conference (Launceston, Tasmania), 5th Stability Workshop (Trieste, 2001), 6th Stability Workshop (Long Island, 2002), STAB 2003 Conference (Madrid), 7th Stability Workshop (Shanghai, 2004), 8th Stability Workshop (Istanbul, 2005), STAB 2006 Conference (Rio de Janeiro), 9th Stability Workshop (Hamburg, 2007), 10th Stability Workshop (Daejeon, 2008), and STAB 2009 Conference (St. Petersburg). The papers have been clustered around the following themes: Stability Criteria, Stability of the Intact Ship, Parametric Rolling, Broaching, Nonlinear Dynamics, Roll Damping, Probabilistic Assessment of Ship Capsize, Environmental Modelling, Damaged Ship Stability, CFD Applications, Design for Safety, Naval Vessels, and Accident Investigations.

Fatigue has long been recognized as a mechanism that can provoke catastrophic material failure in structural applications and researchers are now turning to the development of prediction tools in order to reduce the cost of determining design criteria for any new material. Fatigue of Fiber-reinforced Composites explains these highly scientific subjects in a simple yet thorough way. Fatigue behavior of fiber-reinforced composite materials and structural components is described through the presentation of numerous experimental results. Many examples help the reader to visualize the failure modes of laminated composite materials and structural adhesively bonded joints. Theoretical models, based on these experimental data, are demonstrated and their capacity for fatigue life modeling and prediction is thoroughly assessed. Fatigue of Fiber-reinforced Composites gives the reader the opportunity to learn about methods for modeling the fatigue behavior of fiber-reinforced composites, about statistical analysis of experimental data, and about theories for life prediction under loading patterns that produce multiaxial fatigue stress states. The authors combine these theories to establish a complete design process that is able to predict fatigue life of fiber-reinforced composites under multiaxial, variable amplitude stress states. A classic design methodology is presented for demonstration and theoretical predictions are compared to experimental data from typical material systems used in the wind turbine rotor blade industry. Fatigue of Fiber-reinforced Composites also presents novel computational methods for modeling fatigue behavior of composite materials, such as artificial neural networks and genetic programming, as a promising alternative to the conventional methods. It is an ideal source of information for researchers and graduate students in mechanical engineering, civil engineering and materials science.

The major developments in the fields of fluid and solid mechanics are scattered throughout an array of technical journals, often making it difficult to find what the real advances are, especially for a researcher new to the field or an individual interested in discovering the state-of-the-art in connection with applications. The Advances in Applied Mechanics book series draws together recent significant advances in various topics in applied mechanics. Published since 1948, Advances in Applied Mechanics aims to provide authoritative review articles on topics in the mechanical sciences, primarily of interest to scientists and engineers working in the various branches of mechanics, but also of interest to the many who use the results of investigations in mechanics in various application areas such as aerospace, chemical, civil, environmental, mechanical and nuclear engineering. Advances in Applied Mechanics continues to be a publication of high visibility and impact. Review articles are provided by active, leading scientists in the field by invitation of the editors. Many of the articles published have become classics within their fields. Volume 42 in the series contains articles on coarse-graining in elasto-viscoplasticity, elasticity at nano-scale, and elestic and conductive properties of heterogeneous materials.
-Covers all fields of the mechanical sciences
-Highlights classical and modern areas of mechanics that are ready for review
-Provides comprehensive coverage of the field in question

Modern technical advancements in areas such as robotics, multi-body systems, spacecraft, control, and design of complex mechanical devices and mechanisms in industry require the knowledge to solve advanced concepts in dynamics. "Mechanisms and Robots Analysis with MATLAB" provides a thorough, rigorous presentation of kinematics and dynamics. The book uses MATLAB as a tool to solve problems from the field of mechanisms and robots. The book discusses the tools for formulating the mathematical equations, and also the methods of solving them using a modern computing tool like MATLAB. An emphasis is placed on basic concepts, derivations, and interpretations of the general principles. The book is of great benefit to senior undergraduate and graduate students interested in the classical principles of mechanisms and robotics systems. Each chapter introduction is followed by a careful step-by-step presentation, and sample problems are provided at the end of every chapter.

Kinematics is an exciting area of computational mechanics which plays a central role in a great variety of fields and industrial applications. Apart from research in pure kinematics, the field offers challenging problems of practical relevance that need to be solved in an interdisciplinary manner in order for new technologies to develop. The present book collects a number of important contributions presented during the First Conference on Interdisciplinary Applications of Kinematics (IAK 2008) held in Lima, Peru. To share inspiration and non-standard solutions among the different applications, the conference brought together scientists from several research fields related to kinematics, such as for example, computational kinematics, multibody systems, industrial machines, robotics, biomechanics, mechatronics and chemistry. The conference focused on all aspects of kinematics, namely modeling, optimization, experimental validation, industrial applications, theoretical kinematical methods, and design. The results should be of interest for practicing and research engineers as well as Ph.D. students from the fields of mechanical and electrical engineering, computer science, and computer graphics.

Cracks can develop in rotating shafts and can propagate to relevant depths without affecting consistently the normal operating conditions of the shaft. In order to avoid catastrophic failures, accurate vibration analyses have to be performed for crack detection. The identification of the crack location and depth is possible by means of a model based diagnostic approach, provided that the model of the crack and the model of the cracked shaft dynamical behavior are accurate and reliable. This monograph shows the typical dynamical behavior of cracked shafts and presents tests for detecting cracks. The book describes how to model cracks, how to simulate the dynamical behavior of cracked shaft, and compares the corresponding numerical with experimental results. All effects of cracks on the vibrations of rotating shafts are analyzed, and some results of a numerical sensitivity analysis of the vibrations to the presence and severity of the crack are shown. Finally the book describes some crack identification procedures and shows some results in model based crack identification in position and depth. The book is useful for higher university courses in mechanical and energetic engineering, but also for skilled technical people employed in power generation industries.

Presenting original results from both theoretical and numerical viewpoints, this text offers a detailed discussion of the variational approach to brittle fracture. The key to this approach is viewing crack growth as the result of a competition between bulk and surface energy. The variational approach that the authors champion provides an incisive picture of initiation and propagation whose features are detailed. It treats crack evolution from its initiation all the way to the failure of a sample. The authors set forth tested-and-proven models that you can use to gauge crack initiation, crack path, and crack extension for arbitrary geometries and loads. Although the material is mathematical in nature, the authors avoid unnecessary technicalities. They also connect the variational approach with more classical treatments of fracture, demonstrating the distinct results of each approach in simple test settings and via relevant numerical simulations.

Vibration problems dealing with advanced Mathematical and Numerical Techniques have extensive application in a wide class of problems in ae- nautics, aerodynamics, space science and technology, off-shore engineering and in the design of different structural components of high speed space crafts and nuclear reactors. Different classes of vibration problems dealing with complex geometries and non-linear behaviour require careful attention of scientists and engineers in pursuit of their research activities. Almost all fields of Engineering, Science and Technology, ranging from small domestic building subjected to earthquake and cyclone to the space craft venturing towards different planets, from giant ship to human skeleton, encounter problems of vibration and dynamic loading. This being truly an interdisciplinary field, where the mathematicians, phy- cists and engineers could interface their innovative ideas and creative thoughts to arrive at an appropriate solution, Bengal Engineering and Science University, Shibpur, India, a premier institution for education and research in engineering, science and technology felt it appropriate to organize 8th International C- ference on "Vibration Problems (ICOVP-2007)" as a part of its sesquicentenary celebration. The conference created a platform and all aspects of vibration phenomenon with the focus on the state-of-the art in theoretical, experimental and applied research areas were addressed and the scientific interaction, p- ticipated by a large gathering including eminent personalities and young research workers, generated many research areas and innovative ideas.

This book thoroughly describes a theory concerning the yield and failure of materials under multi-axial stresses - the Unified Strength Theory, which was first proposed by the author and has been frequently quoted since. It provides a system of yield and failure criteria adopted for most materials, from metals to rocks, concretes, soils, and polymers. This new edition includes six additional chapters: General behavior of Strength theory function; Visualization of the Unified Strength Theory; Equivalent Stress of the UST and Comparisons with other criteria; Economic Signification of the UST; General form of failure criterion; Beauty of Strength Theories. It is intended for researchers and graduate students in various fields, including engineering mechanics, material mechanics, plasticity, soil mechanics, rock mechanics, mechanics of metallic materials and civil engineering, hydraulic engineering, geotechnical engineering, mechanical engineering and military engineering.

Introduction to Solid Mechanics: An Integrated Approach presents for the first time in one text the concepts and processes covered in statics and mechanics of materials curricula following a granular, topically integrated approach. Since the turn of the millennium, it has become common in engineering schools to combine the traditional undergraduate offerings in rigid-body statics (usually called "statics") and deformable body mechanics (known traditionally as "strength of materials" or, more recently, "mechanics of materials") into a single, introductory course in solid mechanics. Many textbooks for the new course sequentially meld pieces of existing, discrete books--sometimes, but not always, acknowledging the origin--into two halves covering Statics and Mechanics of Materials. In this volume, Professors Lubliner and Papadopoulos methodically combine the essentials of statics and mechanics of materials, illustrating the relationship of concepts throughout, into one "integrated" text. Introduction to Solid Mechanics: An Integrated Perspective offers a holistic treatment of the depth and breadth of solid mechanics, proceeding from first principles to applications.

"Advanced Dynamics: Analytical and Numerical Calculations with MATLAB" provides a thorough, rigorous presentation of kinematics and dynamics while using MATLAB as an integrated tool to solve problems. Topics presented are explained thoroughly and directly, allowing fundamental principles to emerge through applications from areas such as multibody systems, robotics, spacecraft and design of complex mechanical devices. This book differs from others in that it uses symbolic MATLAB for both theory and applications. Special attention is given to solutions that are solved analytically and numerically using MATLAB. The illustrations and figures generated with MATLAB reinforce visual learning while an abundance of examples offer additional support.

This book presents the signal processing and data mining challenges encountered in drilling engineering, and describes the methods used to overcome them. In drilling engineering, many signal processing technologies are required to solve practical problems, such as downhole information transmission, spatial attitude of drillstring, drillstring dynamics, seismic activity while drilling, among others. This title attempts to bridge the gap between the signal processing and data mining and oil and gas drilling engineering communities. There is an urgent need to summarize signal processing and data mining issues in drilling engineering so that practitioners in these fields can understand each other in order to enhance oil and gas drilling functions. In summary, this book shows the importance of signal processing and data mining to researchers and professional drilling engineers and open up a new area of application for signal processing and data mining scientists.

This book shows impressively how complex mathematical modeling of materials can be applied to technological problems. Top-class researchers present the theoretical approaches in modern mechanics and apply them to real-world problems in solid mechanics, creep, plasticity, fracture, impact, and friction. They show how they can be applied to technological challenges in various fields like aerospace technology, biological sciences and modern engineering materials.

The book explores the two opposite natural trends of composite systems: (i) order and structure emerging from heterogeneity and randomness, and (ii) instability and chaos arising from simple nonlinear rules. Providing insights into the rapidly growing field of complexity sciences, the book focuses on the role of complexity in fracture mechanics. It firstly discusses the occurrence of self-similarity and fractal patterns in deformation, damage, fracture, and fragmentation of heterogeneous materials and the apparent scaling of the nominal mechanical properties of disordered materials, as well as of the time-to-failure after fatigue and creep loading. Then the book addresses criticality in the acoustic emissions from damaged structures and tectonic faults. Further, it examines the snap-back instability in the structural behavior of relatively large composite structures in the framework of catastrophe theory, and lastly describes the transition toward chaos in the dynamics of cracked elements.