Mechanics of Materials Sixth Edition

Abstract

Mechanics of materials is a basic engineering subject that must be understood by anyone concerned with the strength and physical performance of structures, whether those structures are man-made or natural. The subject matter includes such fundamental concepts as stresses and strains, deformations and displacements, elasticity and inelasticity, strain energy, and load-carrying capacity. These concepts underlie the design and analysis of a huge variety of mechanical and structural systems. At the college level, mechanics of materials is usually taught during the sophomore and junior years. The subject is required for most students majoring in mechanical, structural, civil, aeronautical, and aerospace engineering. Furthermore, many students from such diverse fields as materials science, industrial engineering, architecture, and agricultural engineering also find it useful to study this subject. About this Book The main topics covered in this book are the analysis and design of structural members subjected to tension, compression, torsion, and bending, including the fundamental concepts mentioned in the first paragraph. Other topics of general interest are the transformations of stress and strain, combined loadings, stress concentrations, deflections of beams, and stability of columns. Specialized topics include the following: Thermal effects, dynamic loading, nonprismatic members, beams of two materials, shear centers, pressure vessels, discontinuity (singularity) functions, and statically indeterminate beams. For completeness and occasional reference, elementary topics such as shear forces, bending moments, centroids, and moments of inertia also are presented. Much more material than can be taught in a single course is included in this book, and therefore instructors have the opportunity to select the topics they wish to cover. As a guide, some of the more specialized topics are identified in the table of contents by stars.