The advent of the digital computer has given great impetus to the development of modern discretization methods in structural mechanics. The young history of the finite element method (FEM) reflects the dramatic increase of computing speed and storage capacity within a relatively short period of time. The history of the boundary element method (BEM) is still younger. Presently, intense scientific efforts aimed at extending the range of application of the BEM can be observed. More than 10 years ago, O.C. Zienkiewicz and his co-workers published the first papers on the coupling of FE and BE discretizations of subregions of solids for the purpose of exploiting the complementary advantages of the two discretization methods and reducing their disadvantages. The FEM has revolutionized structural analysis in industry as well as academia. The BEM has a fair share in the continuation of this revolution. Both discretization methods have become a domain of vigorous, world-wide research activities. The rapid increase of the number of specialized journals and scientific meetings indicates the remarkable increase of research efforts in this important subdolll.ain of computational ulechanics. Several discussions of this situation in the Committee for Discretization Methods ill Solid Mechanics of the Society for Applied Mathematics and Mechanics (GAMM) resulted in the plan to submit a proposal to the General Assembly of the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (IUTAM) to sponsor a pertinent IUTAM Symposium.

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.

In recent years, the Finite Element Methods FEM were more and more employed in development and design departments as very fast working tools in order to determine stresses, deformations, eigenfrequencies etc. for all kinds of constructions under complex loading conditions. Meanwhile. very effective software systems have been developed by various research teams although some mathematical problems (e. g. convergence) have not been solved satisfac torily yet. In order to make further advances and to find a common language between mathe maticians and mechanicians the "Society for Applied Mathematics and Mechanics" (GAMM) agreed on the foundation of a special Committee: "Discretization Methods in Solid Mechanics" focussing on the following problems: - Structuring of various methods (displacement functions, hybrid and mixed approaches, etc. >, - Survey of approach functions (Lagrange-/Hermite-polynominals, Spline-functions), - Description of singularities, - Convergence and stability, - Practical and theoretical optimality to all mentioned issues (single and interacting). One of the basic aims of the GAMM-Committee is the interdisciplinary cooperation between mechanicians, mathematicians, and users which shall be intensified. Thus, on September 22, 1985 the committee decided to hold a seminar on "Structural Optimization" in order to allow an exchange of experiences and thoughts between the experts of finite element methods and those of structural optimization. A GAMM-seminar entitled "Discretization Methods and Structural Optimization - Procedures and Applications" was hold on October 5-7, 1988 at the Unversity of Siegen.

This book is the frrst to focus on mechanical aspects of fibrous and layered composite material with curved structure. By mechanical aspects we mean statics, vibration, stability loss, elastic and fracture problems. By curved structures we mean that the reinforcing layers or fibres are not straight: they have some initial curvature, bending or distortion. This curvature may occur as a result of design, or as a consequence of some technological process. During the last two decades, we and our students have investigated problems relating to curved composites intensively. These investigations have allowed us to study stresses and strains in regions of a composite which are small compared to the curvature wavelength. These new, accurate, techniques were developed in the framework of continuum theories for piecewise homogeneous bodies. We use the exact equations of elasticity or viscoelasticity for anisotropic bodies, and consider linear and non-linear problems in the framework of this continuum theory as well as in the framework of the piecewise homogeneous model. For the latter the method of solution of related problems is proposed. We have focussed our attention on self-balanced stresses which arise from the curvature, but have provided sufficient information for the study of other effects. We assume that the reader is familiar with the theory of elasticity for anisotropic bodies, with partial differential equations and integral transformations, and also with the Finite Element Method.

Plates and panels are primary components in many structures including space vehicles, aircraft, automobiles, buildings, bridge decks, ships and submarines. The ability to design, analyse, optimise and select the proper materials for these structures is a necessity for structural designers, analysts and researchers. This text consists of four parts. The first deals with plates of isotropic (metallic and polymeric) materials. The second involves composite material plates, including anisotropy and laminate considerations. The third section treats sandwich constructions of various types, and the final section gives an introduction to plates involving piezoelectric materials, in which the "smart" or "intelligent" materials are used as actuators or sensors. In each section, the formulations encompass plate structures subjected to static loads, dynamic loads, buckling, thermal/moisture environments, and minimum weight structural optimisation. This is a textbook for a graduate course, an undergraduate senior course and a reference. Many homework problems are given in various chapters.

These proceedings contain the texts of 37 contributions presented at the International Conference on Engineering Optimization in an Industrial Environment, which took place on 3 - 4 September 1990 at the Karlsruhe Nuclear Hesearch Center, I~H Germany. The presentations consisted of oral and poster contributions arranged in five sessions: • Shape and layout optimization • Structural optimization with advanced materials • Optimal designs with special structural and material beha viour • Sensitivity analysis - Programme systems • Optimization with stability constraints - Special problems The editors wish to express their appreciation to all authors and invited speakers for their in teresting contributions. The proceedings cover a wide range of topics in structural optimization representing the present state of the art in the fields of research and in the industrial environment as well. The editors hope that this book will also contribute towards new ideas and concepts in a world of ever decreasing natural resources and ever increasing demands for lighter and yet stronger and safer technical components. I"inally, the editors wish to thank all colleagues who helped in the organisation of the conference, especially Mrs. E. Schroder anq Dr. K.llethge, as well as Mr. A. von lIagen and Mrs. E. Haufelder, Springer Publishing Company, Heidelberg for the good cooperation and help in the publication of these proceedings.

Proceedings of the IUTAM Symposium held in Liverpool, UK, 8-11 July 2002

Phase transition phenomena in solids are of vital interest to physicists, materials scientists, and engineers who need to understand and model the mechanical behavior of solids during various kinds of phase transformations. This volume is a collection of 29 written contributions by distinguished invited speakers from 14 countries to the IUTAM Symposium on Mechanics of Martensitic Phase Transformation in Solids, the first IUTAM Symposium focusing on this topic. It contains basic theoretical and experimental aspects of the recent advances in the mechanics research of martensitic phase transformations. The main topics include microstructure and interfaces, material instability and its propagation, micromechanics approaches, interaction between plasticity and phase transformation, phase transformation in thin films, single and polycrystalline shape memory alloys, shape memory polymers, TRIP steels, etc. Due to the multidisciplinary nature of the research covered, this volume will be of interest to researchers, graduate students and engineers in the field of theoretical and applied mechanics as well as materials science and technology.

The editors have published a select group of full length papers on boundary element analysis (BEA) photographed from camera ready manuscripts. The articles have been prepared by some of the most distinguished and prolific individuals in this field. More than half of these articles have been submitted by authors that participated in an International Forum on Boundary Element Methods, in Melbourne Australia, in the Summer of 1991. However, this volume is not a conference proceedings, as these authors have expanded their accounts to chapter length, and/or have tailored their expositions more toward the style employed in archival journal publications. The authors that did not participate in the International Forum have also adhered to the above mentioned philosophy. This work contains a definitive representation of the significant capabilities and applications currently available or under investigation that fall under the general category of advanced boundary element analysis. With treatments of mechanical, thermal, fluid, and electromagnetic phenomena, this book should thus be of value to graduate students, practitioners, and researchers in engineering, mathematics, and the physical sciences wishing to obtain a broader perspective or remain current in these important areas of computational simulation.

This book summarizes advances in a number of fundamental areas of optimization with application in engineering design. The selection of the 'best' or 'optimum' design has long been a major concern of designers and in recent years interest has grown in applying mathematical optimization techniques to design of large engineering and industrial systems, and in using the computer-aided design packages with optimization capabilities which are now available.