State-of-the-art coverage of modern computational methods for the analysis and design of beams

Analysis and Design of Elastic Beams presents computer models and applications related to thin-walled beams such as those used in mechanical and aerospace designs, where thin, lightweight structures with high strength are needed. This book will enable readers to compute the cross-sectional properties of individual beams with arbitrary cross-sectional shapes, to apply a general-purpose computer analysis of a complete structure to determine the forces and moments in the individual members, and to use a unified approach for calculating the normal and shear stresses, as well as deflections, for those members’ cross sections.

In addition, this book augments a solid foundation in the basic structural design theory of beams by:

• Providing coverage of thin-wall structure analysis and optimization techniques
• Applying computer numerical methods to classical design methods
• Developing computational solutions for cross-sectional properties and stresses using finite element analyses

Including access to an associated Web site with software for the analysis and design of any cross-sectional shape, Analysis and Design of Elastic Beams: Computational Methods is an essential reference for mechanical, aerospace, and civil engineers and designers working in the automotive, ship, and aerospace industries in product and process design, machine design, structural design, and design optimization, as well as students and researchers in these areas.

With this book as their guide, readers will discover how to design better protective equipment and devices such as helmets, seat belts, and wheelchairs in order to minimize the risk or the extent of injury to people subjected to impact loads. It is based on the theory of optimal shock isolation, first developed in the 1950s to protect missile systems from intensive shock loads.

Using examples from automotive, aviation, and military areas, the authors demonstrate how optimal shock isolation theory enables designers to improve the performance of protective equipment by incorporating control and optimization methods developed for shock isolation systems.

The first part of "Injury Biomechanics and Control" lays down the engineering foundation, setting forth core principles and techniques, including:

Fundamentals of impact and shock isolation systems

Basic optimal shock isolation for single-degree-of-freedom systems

Optimal shock isolation for multi-degree-of-freedom systems

The second part applies the principles set forth in the first part to solve real-world problems, using simple mathematical models that simulate the mechanical response of human bodies to impact loads in order to optimize shock isolation systems. This book enables scientists, engineers, and students in mechanical, biomechanical, and biomedical engineering to fully realize the potential of shock isolation methods for the development of protective equipment and devices.