This book contains papers presented at the IUTAM/IACM Symposium Discretization Methods in Structural Mechanics II' held in Vienna, Austria, in June 1997. During the last decade the broad field of Discretization Methods in Structural Mechanics' has experienced a remarkable evolution. New aspects have come into focus. Many of them were stimulated by challenging requirements coming from high-tech applications. In these proceedings such recent developments are presented and discussed together with new trends and demands. In view of their relevance, emphasis was put on nonlinear finite element methods and boundary element methods as well as on the coupling of these two numerical methods. Novel developments in other discretization methods having the potential of opening new avenues for promising applications were also considered. The different sources of nonlinearities, such as large deformations, large strains, nonlinear material behaviour (including viscoplasticity, progressive damage, nonlinearities in composites and other microstructured materials), contact with or without friction, etc., require (a) a careful mathematical and mechanical description and modelling, (b) the development of efficient algorithms and (c) a sound computational treatment. Contributions meeting these requirements are presented. Further emphasis was laid on significant improvements concerning efficiency, accuracy and reliability of discretization methods in nonlinear structural mechanics (e.g. error estimation, self-adapting mesh refinement, multigrid methods). A number of papers deal with new aspects of sensitivity analysis and optimization. Neural network strategies as well as modern data processing architectures(such as parallel computers and transputers) and their impact on the developments of new algorithmic concepts are discussed.

The JUT AMlIACM Symposium on Discretization Methods in Structural Mechanics was nd th held in Vienna, Austria, from 2 to 6 June 1997. The site of the Symposium was the "Theatersaal" of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. The Symposium was attended by 71 persons from 23 countries. In addition, several Austrian graduate students and research associates participated in the meeting. In the 5-day Symposium a total of 48 papers were presented. All of them were invited and accorded equal weight in the programme. The following topics were covered: * Error-controlled adaptivity of finite element methods * Large deformations and buckling, including inelastic deformations * Inelastic brittle or ductile localization, phase transition and system failure, resulting from monotonic, cyclic or impact loading * Sensitivity analysis and inverse problems with special emphasis on identification of material parameters * Development of linear and nonlinear finite element methods for thin-walled structures and composites * Implicit integration schemes for nonlinear dynamics * Coupling of rigid and deformable structures; fluid-structures and acoustic-structure interaction * Competitive numerical methods (finite element methods, boundary element methods, coupling ofthese two methods) * Identification of material and structural data. Comments on details of the treatment of these topics are contained in the Concluding Remarks. The Editors would like to express their appreciation to E. Stein who has prepared these Concluding Remarks.

The book aims at giving an overview of current methods in engineering mechanics of FRP components and structures as well as hybrid components and structures. Main emphasis is on basic micro and macro mechanics of laminates. Long as well as short fibre composites are studied, and criteria for different kinds of rupture are treated. Micromechanical considerations for material characterization and mechanisms of static ductile and brittle rupture are studied, as well as FRP structures under thermal and dynamic loading programs. Optimum design and manufacture situations are described as well. The book makes designers familiar with the opportunities and limitations of modern high quality fibre composites. Practical engineering applications of the described analytical and numerical methods are also presented.