An increase in the use of composite materials in many areas of engineering has led to a greater demand for engineers versed in the design of structures made from such materials. Although numerous books offer introductions to composites, few demonstrate advanced concepts or emphasize structures.
This book addresses that need by offering students and engineers tools for designing practical composite structures. The focus is on fiber-reinforced composites composed of fibers embedded in a matrix. Among the topics of interest to the designer are stress–strain relationships for a wide range of anisotropic materials; bending, buckling, and vibration of plates; bending, torsion, buckling, and vibration of solid as well as thin-walled beams; shells; hydrothermal stresses and strains; finite element formulation; and failure criteria. The emphasis is on analyses that lead to methods applicable to a variety of structural
design problems. The expressions resulting from the analyses are either readily usable or can be translated into a computer algorithm. More than 300 illustrations, 50 fully worked problems, and material properties data sets are included. Some knowledge of composites, differential equations, and matrix algebra is
helpful but not necessary, for the book is self-contained.
This book will be of great practical use to graduate students, researchers,and practicing engineers seeking to acquire advanced knowledge of the mechanics of composites and of the applications of composite materials.