Topics in Applied Mechanics: Integration of Theory and Applications in Applied Mechanics - Tapa dura

Reseña del editor

In collaboration with the Contact Group Experimental Mechanics in The Netherlands and under the auspices of the Technological Institute of the Koninklijke Vlaamse Ingenieurs Vereniging (Royal Flemish Society of Engineers), the Department of Ap­ plied Mechanics of the Koninklijk Instituut van Ingenieurs (Royal Institution of Engineers in The Netherlands) organised the second National Mechanics Congress in The Netherlands, on November 16-18, 1992. About hundred participants from universities and industrial research laboratories in The Netherlands and Belgium discussed topics around the theme: Building Bridges, Integration of Theory and Applications in Applied Mechanics. Building bridges is of course one of the main tasks of a civil engineer, in order to improve the infrastructure of our society. Strength, stiffness and stability have to be guaranteed for a large number of years of service. Localised effects such as shear lag in longitudinal stiffeners, small cracks in concrete structures and effects of corrosion may on the long tenn lead to catastrofic failure of bridges. During the congress J.P. Gailliez presented a talk about the hydraulic ship lifts in the Canal du Centre in south Belgium. Built more than a hundred years ago, the elevators still are in a perfect condition and are recognized now as an industrial archeological monument.

Reseña del editor

This volume is a compilation of contributions in applied mechanics, dealing with both solid and fluid mechanics. The contributions are based on material presented at the national mechanics congress held in the Netherlands during November 16--18, 1992.
The scope of the volume covers both theoretical and applied issues, including the following themes:

• Experimental mechanics, how to use modern electronic equipment, optical techniques and software tools to measure strain, stress, displacements, forces, etc. in both fluids and solids.
• The analysis of localised effects on stiffness, strength and stability of structures, like dikes, bridges, roads, and all public works necessary to improve among other things the navigability of canals and rivers.
• The analysis of damage processes in concrete and fiber reinforced polymers and the quest to make such processes accessible by numerical computation.
• The analysis of localised effects on fluid flow, leading to more understanding of the origin of the different colours of musical tones and human speech, but also to more understanding of the pulsating flow of blood through complicated shaped arteries and drag reduction in turbulent flow through pipes or along walls, as a result of small sized surface grooves or the addition of a very small amount of polymer to liquids.
• The investigation of non-linearities in the behaviour of dynamic systems such as manipulators, railway vehicles, etc.
• Micromechanics and constitutive equations. In order to describe complex material behaviour understanding of momentum and heat transport on almost the molecular level is needed. This emphasizes the importance of micromechanics in relation to the ultimate strength of composite materials, ranging from fiber reinforced plastics up to very high temperature resistant ceramics toughened by thin hairlike crystals of exceptional mechanical strength.
• Fluid-structure interactions, such as occur in non-rigid pipelines and artery systems.