Probabilistic Methods In The Theory Of Structures Strength Of Materials Random Vibrations And Random Buckling

The first edition of this book appeared over three decades ago (Wiley-Interscience, 1983), whereas the second one saw light on the verge of new millennium (Dover, 1999). This is third, corrected and expanded edition that appears in conjunction with its companion volume Probabilistic Methods in the Theory of Structures: Complete Worked-Through Solutions. Thus, the reader is able to both get acquainted with the theoretical material and be able to master some of the problems, following Chinese dictum: I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand — Confucius. The main idea of the book lies in the fact that three topics: probabilistic strength of materials, random vibrations, and probabilistic buckling are presented in a single package allowing one to see the forest in between the trees. Indeed, these three topics usually are presented in separate manners, in different specialized books. Here, the reader gets a feeling of true unity of the subject at large in order to appreciate that in the end what one wants is reliability of the structure, in conjunction with its operating conditions. As the author describes in the Preface of the second edition, this book was not conceived ab initio, as a book that author strived to compose. Rather, it was forced, as it were, upon me due to two reasons. One was rather a surprising but understandable requirement in the venerable Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands to prepare the lecture notes for students with the view of reducing skyrocketing costs of acquisition of textbooks by the students. The other one was an unusually warm acceptance of the notes that the author prepared while at Delft University of Technology and later in Haifa, at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology by the legendary engineering scientist Warner Tjardus Koiter (1914–1997). The energy necessary to prepare the second and third editions came from enthusiastic reviews that appeared in various sources. Author embraced the simplicity of exposition as the main virtue following Isaac Newton's view that "Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things."

Well-written introduction covers probability theory from two or more random variables, reliability of such multivariable structures, theory of random function, Monte Carlo methods for problems incapable of exact solution, more.

Practicing engineers and students of aeronautic and applied mechanics will develop a solid conceptual background in the theory of structures with this easy-to-understand introduction to probabilistic methods. No previous knowledge of the theory of probability and random processes is required. The text/reference provides a thorough overview, starting with elements of the theory of probability from two or more random variables and proceeding to an examination of the reliability of such multivariable structures. Further, it introduces the theory of random function, focusing on random vibration of single- and multi-degree-of freedom structures and continuous systems, and presents the Monte Carlo method for treating problems incapable of exact solution. Chapters 1 through 7 are suitable for a one-semester, first-level undergraduate course, while the material in chapters 8 through 11 is appropriate for the analytically minded senior and graduate student. The text can also be used for a graduate course on random vibration and buckling and as a reference by practicing engineers and research workers. Numerous examples, with illustrative figures, clarify the well-written text; and many exercises are provided with each chapter to facilitate the reader's grasp of the subject.

This book comprised of three separate volumes presents the recent developments and research discoveries in structural and solid mechanics; it is dedicated to Professor Isaac Elishakoff. This second volume is devoted to the vibrations of solid and structural members. Modern Trends in Structural and Solid Mechanics 2 has broad scope, covering topics such as: exact and approximate vibration solutions of rods, beams, membranes, plates and three-dimensional elasticity problems, Bolotins dynamic edge effect, the principles of plate theories in dynamics, nano- and microbeams, nonlinear dynamics of shear extensible beams, the vibration and aeroelastic stability behavior of cellular beams, the dynamic response of elastoplastic softening oscillators, the complex dynamics of hysteretic oscillators, bridging waves, and the three-dimensional propagation of waves. This book is intended for graduate students and researchers in the field of theoretical and applied mechanics.

This book – comprised of three separate volumes – presents the recent developments and research discoveries in structural and solid mechanics; it is dedicated to Professor Isaac Elishakoff. This third volume is devoted to non-deterministic mechanics. Modern Trends in Structural and Solid Mechanics 3 has broad scope, covering topics such: design optimization under uncertainty, interval field approaches, convex analysis, quantum inspired topology optimization and stochastic dynamics. The book is illustrated by many applications in the field of aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, biomedical engineering and automotive engineering. This book is intended for graduate students and researchers in the field of theoretical and applied mechanics.

Stochastic elasticity is a fast developing field that combines nonlinear elasticity and stochastic theories in order to significantly improve model predictions by accounting for uncertainties in the mechanical responses of materials. However, in contrast to the tremendous development of computational methods for large-scale problems, which have been proposed and implemented extensively in recent years, at the fundamental level, there is very little understanding of the uncertainties in the behaviour of elastic materials under large strains. Based on the idea that every large-scale problem starts as a small-scale data problem, this book combines fundamental aspects of finite (large-strain) elasticity and probability theories, which are prerequisites for the quantification of uncertainties in the elastic responses of soft materials. The problems treated in this book are drawn from the analytical continuum mechanics literature and incorporate random variables as basic concepts along with mechanical stresses and strains. Such problems are interesting in their own right but they are also meant to inspire further thinking about how stochastic extensions can be formulated before they can be applied to more complex physical systems.

This book - comprised of three separate volumes - presents the recent developments and research discoveries in structural and solid mechanics; it is dedicated to Professor Isaac Elishakoff. This first volume is devoted to the statics and stability of solid and structural members. Modern Trends in Structural and Solid Mechanics 1 has broad scope, covering topics such as: buckling of discrete systems (elastic chains, lattices with short and long range interactions, and discrete arches), buckling of continuous structural elements including beams, arches and plates, static investigation of composite plates, exact solutions of plate problems, elastic and inelastic buckling, dynamic buckling under impulsive loading, buckling and post-buckling investigations, buckling of conservative and non-conservative systems and buckling of micro and macro-systems. This book is intended for graduate students and researchers in the field of theoretical and applied mechanics.

Annotation This text synthesizes a wealth of useful information for analyzing random vibrations and structures into one coherent body of knowledge. It takes a practical yet progressive look at two major fields related to random analysis: linear and geometrically nonlinear structures, and the behavior of random structures under random loads. System harmonics and oscillations, random functions, and the theory of random vibration are covered extensively throughout the text, which includes innovative methods for calculating the probability of failure for dynamic systems. Simplified examples demonstrate applications for daily use and present new approaches to failure analysis. The author evaluates the use of random process methods for the stochastic analysis of crack growth in detail, providing a better description of failures resulting from crack propagation. For young engineers, the book touches on finite element programs such as ANSYS and the probabilistic analysis program PROBAN, facilitating solutions to more complex problems. It also illustrates how to write a FORTRAN program to build a numerical procedure suitable for the design needs.