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This book gathers the peer-reviewed papers presented at the Second RILEM International Conference on Earthen Construction (ICEC), held in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, on July 8–10, 2024. It highlights the latest advances and innovations in the field of con earth-based building materials and construction. The conference topics encompass material characterisation and quality control, hydro-mechanical behaviour, reinforcement behaviour, seismic behaviour, in situ and field testing, additive manufacturing (3D printing), rheology, biostabilisation, molecular simulation, microstructure, durability, fire performance, hygro-thermal behaviour, life cycle analysis, climate change adaptation, economic impacts, and earthen architecture. As such, the book represents an invaluable, up-to-the-minute tool, and offers an important platform to engineers, architects, and geophysicists.

This book includes topics like composite structures, SHM, microstructures, material modelling, design for additive manufacturing, numerical optimization and in particular topology optimization in aerospace, automotive, and other industries. Every year, the Technical University of Munich, the Universität der Bundeswehr München, and the University of Applied Sciences in Munich invite researchers and practitioners to join the Munich Symposium on Lightweight Design. Experts from industry and academia discuss design tools, applications, and new developments. The talks are summarized in short articles and presented in this volume.

This book presents peer-reviewed articles from the 12th International Conference on Advanced Materials and Engineering Materials (ICAMEM2023), held in Bangkok, Thailand, from December 15 to 18, 2023. ICAMEM has been a prominent platform for sharing current and emerging materials and devices research for over 11 years between researchers and professionals from industry, research laboratories, and academia. Topics in the proceedings include but are not limited to nanomaterials and nanotechnology; graphene technology; polymer science and technology; surface science and engineering; new energy materials; composite materials, etc.

This book highlights the mechanics of the elastic elements made of steel alloys with a focus on the metal springs for automotive industry. The industry and scientific organizations study intensively the foundations of design of spring elements and permanently improve the mechanical properties of spring materials. The development responsibilities of spring manufacturing company involve the optimal application of the existing material types. Thus, the task entails the target-oriented evaluation of the mechanical properties and the subsequent design of the springs, which makes full use of the attainable material characteristics. The themes about the new design of disk springs and the hereditary mechanics—namely creep and relaxation resistance—were extended. The fatigue life diagrams were reconsidered, and the relations between the traditional diagrams revealed. The book stands as a valuable reference for professionals in practice as well as an advanced learning resource for students of structural and automotive engineering. The former editions were known as'Durability of Springs”. Reflecting the substantial enlargement of the discussed themes, starting with this 3rd Edition the book entitled as'Fundamentals of Springs Mechanics”.

This textbook teaches important material and technological fundamentals in various technical systems and applied geoscientific fields. Beginning with the mineralogical characteristics of selected non-metallic raw materials and industrial minerals, this book presents the connections between properties and industrial applications and discusses the environment-relevant aspects as well as problems of biomineralogy. An introduction is given to important mineralogical and physico-chemical aspects of ceramic materials such as silicate ceramics, glass, cement, refractory materials as well as an overview about material synthesis.This makes it the first textbook to present the fundamentals of applied mineralogy as a material-related geoscience in a compact form and to show important bridges to industrial issues and approaches to solutions. It is aimed primarily at undergraduate students of geosciences and materials science, but is also suitable for related disciplines and practical applications.

This book gathers selected contributions of the 7th international conference on structural adhesive bonding AB 2023, held in Porto, Portugal, July 13–14, 2023.The book provides the latest trends and developments related to structural bonding. Topics like adhesive formulation and properties, adhesion and surface treatments, joint design, and durability of structural adhesive joints are covered.This book offers a wealth of information for researchers, students and engineers in industry.

This collection presents papers from the 152nd Annual Meeting & Exhibition of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society.

This book includes the description, modeling and realization of new optical metrology techniques for technical diagnostics of materials. Special attention is paid to multi-step phase shifting interferometry with arbitrary phase shifts between interferograms, phase shifting and correlation digital speckle pattern interferometry, optical-digital speckle correlation, and digital image correlation, as well as dynamic speckle patterns analysis. Optoacoustic techniques can be treated as a separate branch of optical metrology and can solve many problems of technical diagnostics, including detection and localization of subsurface defects in laminated composite materials. The utility of such techniques can be increased by illumination of the object via acoustic waves at certain frequencies. Hence, an effective theoretical approach to the modeling of an elastic wave field interaction with an interphase defect, and to defect visualization using dynamic speckle patterns, is also includedin this book. The experimental proof of the proposed approaches was achieved using a specially created hybrid optical-digital system for detection of different subsurface defects. This book is intended for engineers, researchers and students engaged in the field of nondestructive evaluation of materials and technical diagnostics of structural elements, hybrid optical systems, speckle metrology and optoacoustic imaging techniques.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the current progress in fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP), covering manufacturing, mechanical behavior, and resistance performance. It includes the elastic and damage behavior of unidirectional FRP, and highlights the improvements achieved by adding multiwall carbon nanotubes. The material resistance is assessed through fatigue response, local behavior, local properties, and failure mechanisms, including crack density and microcrack propagation behavior. The book also explores the degradation of macroscopic mechanical properties such as elastic modulus and compressive strength versus plastic strains. Additionally, it focuses on the progress made in out-of-plane composite characterization and modeling response for simulations of critical mechanical parts currently used in different industries, thanks to advances in manufacturing techniques that allow for the production of increasingly complex and thicker geometries.

^ This highly informative and carefully presented volume highlights the impact behavior of fibre reinforced polymer composites. It begins with a preliminary focus on FRP materials, fabrication processes, micro- and macro- mechanics to calculate FRP laminates properties, damage nodes associated with FRP composites under different loadings. It provides a simple and unified approach to cover aspects of FRP composites behavior with low velocity impact loading. This book offers a valuable guide for those who wish to develop deeper insights into weaving architectures, stacking sequences, fabrication processes, general damage modes associated with FRP composites. It is a useful volume for students, academia and industry alike.^

This volume highlights the latest advances, innovations, and applications in bituminous materials and structures and asphalt pavement technology, as presented by leading international researchers and engineers at the RILEM International Symposium on Bituminous Materials (ISBM), held in Lyon, France on December 14-16, 2020. The symposium represents a joint effort of three RILEM Technical Committees from Cluster F: 264-RAP “Asphalt Pavement Recycling”, 272-PIM “Phase and Interphase Behaviour of Bituminous Materials”, and 278-CHA “Crack-Healing of Asphalt Pavement Materials”. It covers a diverse range of topics concerning bituminous materials (bitumen, mastics, mixtures) and road, railway and airport pavement structures, including: recycling, phase and interphase behaviour, cracking and healing, modification and innovative materials, durability and environmental aspects, testing and modelling, multi-scale properties, surface characteristics, structure performance, modelling and design, non-destructive testing, back-analysis, and Life Cycle Assessment. The contributions, which were selected by means of a rigorous international peer-review process, present a wealth of exciting ideas that will open novel research directions and foster new multidisciplinary collaborations.

This textbook offers a strong introduction to the fundamental concepts of materials science. It conveys the quintessence of this interdisciplinary field, distinguishing it from merely solid-state physics and solid-state chemistry, using metals as model systems to elucidate the relation between microstructure and materials properties.Mittemeijer's Fundamentals of Materials Science provides a consistent treatment of the subject matter with a special focus on the microstructure-property relationship. Richly illustrated and thoroughly referenced, it is the ideal adoption for an entire undergraduate, and even graduate, course of study in materials science and engineering. It delivers a solid background against which more specialized texts can be studied, covering the necessary breadth of key topics such as crystallography, structure defects, phase equilibria and transformations, diffusion and kinetics, and mechanical properties. The success of the first edition has led to this updated and extended second edition, featuring detailed discussion of electron microscopy, supermicroscopy and diffraction methods, an extended treatment of diffusion in solids, and a separate chapter on phase transformation kinetics.“In a lucid and masterly manner, the ways in which the microstructure can affect a host of basic phenomena in metals are described.... By consistently staying with the postulated topic of the microstructure - property relationship, this book occupies a singular position within the broad spectrum of comparable materials science literature.... it will also be of permanent value as a reference book for background refreshing, not least because of its unique annotated intermezzi; an ambitious, remarkable work.” G. Petzow in International Journal of Materials Research. “The biggest strength of the book is the discussion of the structure-property relationships, which the author has accomplished admirably.... In a nutshell, the book should not be looked at as a quick ‘cook book'type text, but as a serious, critical treatise for some significant time to come.” G.S. Upadhyaya in Science of Sintering. “The role of lattice defects in deformation processes is clearly illustrated using excellent diagrams. Included are many footnotes, ‘Intermezzos', ‘Epilogues'and asides within the text from the author's experience. This..... soon becomes valued for the interesting insights into the subject and shows the human side of its history. Overall this book provides a refreshing treatment of this important subject and should prove a useful addition to the existing text books available to undergraduate and graduate students and researchers in the field of materials science.” M. Davies in Materials World.

This book focusses on structural bonding, including many facets, like fundamental aspects of adhesion, science and technology of surfaces, adhesive materials, mechanical properties of bonded joints, innovative designs and applications, testing and standardization, industrial aspects, quality procedures, environmental and ecological aspects. This first volume of the new series gathers selected contributions of the 6th international conference on structural adhesive bonding AB 2021, held in Porto, Portugal, 8-9 July 2021, represents the latest trends and serves as a reference volume for researchers and graduate students working in this field.

This book presents selected articles from the Algerian Symposium on Renewable Energy and Materials (ASREM-2020) held at Médéa, Algeria. It highlights the latest advances in the field of green energies and material technology with specific accentuation on numerical plans and recent methodologies designed to solve engineering problems. It includes mathematical models and experimental measurements to study different problems in renewable energy and materials characterization, with contributions from experts in both academia and industry, and presents a platform to further collaborations in this important area.

This book discusses the properties, characterization procedures, and analysis techniques of various structural materials. It presents the latest design considerations and uses of engineering materials as well as theories for fully understanding them through numerous worked mathematical examples. The book gradually builds the concept of materials and the principles of material classifications and their response to different physical disturbances, and finally, about the selection methods based upon the test results of the standard methods to choose appropriate materials for various engineering applications. The principles and related theories predicting the response of different structural materials are introduced in a concise and logical manner. A number of illustrations and examples are also given in all chapters for the help of potential readers. The book will be useful for practicing engineers, researchers, and students in the area of civil engineering, especially structural engineering and allied fields.

​This book introduces research advances in Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) that have taken place under the aegis of the AFOSR/AFRL sponsored Center of Excellence on Integrated Materials Modeling (CEIMM) at Johns Hopkins University. Its author team consists of leading researchers in ICME from prominent academic institutions and the Air Force Research Laboratory. The book examines state-of-the-art advances in physics-based, multi-scale, computational-experimental methods and models for structural materials like polymer-matrix composites and metallic alloys. The book emphasizes Ni-based superalloys and epoxy matrix carbon-fiber composites and encompasses atomistic scales, meso-scales of coarse-grained models and discrete dislocations, and micro-scales of poly-phase and polycrystalline microstructures. Other critical phenomena investigated include the relationship between microstructural morphology, crystallography, and mechanisms to the material response at different scales; methods of identifying representative volume elements using microstructure and material characterization, and robust deterministic and probabilistic modeling of deformation and damage. Encompassing a slate of topics that enable readers to comprehend and approach ICME-related issues involved in predicting material performance and failure, the book is ideal for mechanical, civil, and aerospace engineers, and materials scientists, in in academic, government, and industrial laboratories.

This volume comprises the proceedings of the Third International Conference on Calcined Clays for Sustainable Concrete held in New Delhi, India in October 2019. The papers cover topics related to geology of clay, hydration and performance of blended systems with calcined clays, alkali activated binders, and economic and environmental impacts of the use of calcined clays in cement-based materials. The book presents research on influence of processing on reactivity of calcined clays, influence of clay mineralogy on reactivity, geology of clay deposits, and the environmental impact of use of calcined clays in cement and concrete and field applications of calcined clay in concrete. Apart from giving an overview of the progress of research during the last two years, this work also covers the state-of-the art on the practical aspects of production and use of calcined clays in construction. The contents of this volume will prove useful to researchers and graduate students working in the areas of cement chemistry, cement production, and concrete design.

This book describes recent research findings on response and integrity of thick section composite and sandwich structures. In particular, it deals with these structures for marine applications under static and dynamic loads such as shock and slamming loads in severe sea environment including sea water, temperature extremes, hydrostatic pressure and Arctic conditions. Three-dimensional constitutive equations and failure criteria for structural response and integrity are considered. The book serves as an excellent repository of major advances in research on response and integrity of composite and sandwich structures made through research grants sponsored by the U.S. Office of Naval Research in the past decade. Collects major advances in response and integrity research;Emphasizes phenomena within severe environments;Illustrates underwater fluid-structure interactions, shock/blast loads, and slamming loads.

This is the first book summarizing the theoretical basics of thermal nondestructive testing (TNDT) by combining elements of heat conduction, infrared thermography, and industrial nondestructive testing. The text contains the physical models of TNDT, heat transfer in defective and sound structures, and thermal properties of materials. Also included are the optimization of TNDT procedures, defect characterization, data processing in TNDT, active and passive TNDT systems, as well as elements of statistical data treatment and decision making.This text contains in-depth descriptions of applications in infrared/thermal testing within aerospace, power production, building, as well as the conservation of artistic monuments The book is intended for the industrial specialists who are involved in technical diagnostics and nondestructive testing. It may also be useful for academic researchers, undergraduate, graduate and PhD university students.

This reference work analyzes and assesses global environmental management techniques for environmental materials with a focus on their performance and economic benefits, proposing eco-friendly solutions and designating policies that will sustain the environment for future generations. It addresses management of environmental materials as not only a complex anthropogenic problem, but also as an expensive problem that needs to be managed sustainably. Simultaneously, it considers the environmental and economic benefits involved in the high levels of investment and operation costs required to develop effective materials collection and management systems in modern society.

This book reports on cutting-edge findings concerning characterization of material behavior, material modeling and simulation, and applications in the field of manufacturing. Based on the second International Conference on Advanced Materials Mechanics & Manufacturing, A3M2018, organized by the Laboratory of Mechanics, Modeling and Manufacturing (LA2MP) of the National School of Engineers of Sfax, Tunisia, the book covers a variety of topics, such as experimental analysis of material plasticity and fatigue, numerical simulation of material behavior, and optimization of manufacturing processes, such as cutting and injection, among others. It offers a timely snapshot on current research and applications, offering a bridge to facilitate communication and collaboration between academic and industrial researchers.

Dynamic Behavior of Materials, Volume 1 of the Proceedings of the 2019 SEM Annual Conference & Exposition on Experimental and Applied Mechanics, the first volume of six from the Conference, brings together contributions to this important area of research and engineering. The collection presents early findings and case studies on fundamental and applied aspects of Experimental Mechanics, including papers on:Synchrotron Applications/Advanced Dynamic ImagingQuantitative Visualization of Dynamic EventsNovel Experimental TechniquesDynamic Behavior of GeomaterialsDynamic Failure & FragmentationDynamic Response of Low Impedance MaterialsHybrid Experimental/Computational StudiesShock and Blast LoadingAdvances in Material ModelingIndustrial Applications

This book provides a comprehensive reference for the studies of mechanical properties of materials over multiple length and time scales. The topics include nanomechanics, micromechanics, continuum mechanics, mechanical property measurements, and materials design. The handbook employs a consistent and systematic approach offering readers a user friendly reference ideal for frequent consultation. It is appropriate for an audience at of graduate students, faculties, researchers, and professionals in the fields of Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Engineering Mechanics, and Aerospace Engineering.

This collection features papers presented at the 148th Annual Meeting & Exhibition of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society.

Selective laser melting (SLM) has established itself as the most prominent additive manufacturing (AM) process for metallic structures in aerospace, automotive and medical industries. For a reliable employment of this process, it has to conform to the demanding requirements of these industries in terms of quasistatic and, especially, fatigue performance. Shafaqat Siddique identifies the influence of SLM processing conditions on the microstructural features, and their corresponding influence on the mechanical behavior of the processed AlSi12 alloy structures. The author also gives insight into integrated manufacturing by combining conventional and SLM processes to get the synergic benefits. Requirements for fatigue-resistant designs in additive manufacturing are highlighted, and a novel method is developed for agile fatigue life prediction. About the Author Shafaqat Siddique worked as Scientific Assistant at TU Dortmund University, Department of Materials Test Engineering (WPT), headed by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Walther, and completed his Ph.D. research in cooperation with Laser Zentrum Nord (LZN) in Hamburg. He continues his post-doctoral research at TU Dortmund University, Germany.

Modern continuum mechanics is the topic of this book. After its introduction it will be applied to a few typical systems arising in the environmental sciences and in geophysics. In large lake/ocean dynamics peculiar effects of the rotation of the Earth will be analyzed in linear/nonlinear processes of a homogenous and inhomogenous water body. Strong thermomechanical coupling paired with nonlinear rheology affects the flow of large ice sheets (such as Antarctica and Greenland) and ice shelves. Its response to the climatic forcing in an environmental of greenhouse warming may significantly affect the life of future generations. The mechanical behavior of granular materials under quasistatic loadings requires non-classical mixture concepts and encounters generally complicated elastic-plastic-type constitutive behavior. Creeping flow of soils, consolidation processes and ground water flow are described by such theories. Rapid shearing flow of granular materials lead to constitutive relations for the stresses which incorporate rate independent behavior of Mohr-Coulomb type together with dispersive stress contributions due to particle collisions. Rockfalls, sturzstroms, snow and ice avalanches, but also debris flow and sea ice drifting can be described with such formulations.

A synthetic presentation of the theory of yield design is illustrated by examples such as the stability analysis of reinforced soil structures and the resistance of long fiber reinforced composite materials. The classical limit analysis theory when standard elastic perfectly plastic behaviour can be assumed yields a more precise assessment of the global bearing capacities of structures and makes optimal limit design possible. Structural optimal design is also studied with respect to eigenvalues as well as Structural Topology and Design Optimization.

The Symposium on the Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Manage­ ment was held in the fall of 1979 in Boston, Massachusetts and was one of a number of symposia included in the Annual Meeting of the Materials Research Society. The thrust of this annual Symposium is unique in the area of waste management. Recognizing that this is an area of great complexity which requires contributions from scien­ tists with many different backgrounds some of which are not normally associated with nuclear energy, the Materials Research Society pro­ vides a forum for discussions of a wide range of materials behavior and transport phenomena. As can be seen from the list of references in each paper, the authors draw heavily on contributions associated with professional societies in addition to the Materials Research Society, and this annual meeting encourages the cross-fertilization between disciplines that are essential to an adequate treatment of the problems associated with nuclear waste management. The proceed­ ings of the first Symposium that was held in 1978 was designated as Volume 1 in this series. The third Symposium is scheduled for 1980. The scope of the 1979 Symposium was guided by the Steering Committee: R. L. Schwoebel, Sandia Laboratories, USA (Chairman) W. Carbiener, Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, USA D. Ferguson, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA W. Heimerl, DWK, Mol, Belgium W. Lutze, Hahn Meitner Institut, Berlin, W. Germany J. D. Mather, Institute of Geological Sciences, Harwell, UK G. Oertel, Department of Energy, USA R.

Geomechanics is the mechanics of geomaterials, i.e. soils and rocks, and deals with fascinating problems such as settlements, stability of excavations, tunnels and offshore platforms, landslides, earthquakes and liquefaction. This edited book presents recent mathematical and computational tools and models to describe and simulate such problems in Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. It includes a collection of contributions emanating from the three Euroconferences GeoMath ('Mathematical Methods in Geomechanics') that were held between 2000 and 2002 in Innsbruck/Austria and Horto/Greece.

Today, fiber reinforced composites are in use • properties of different component (fiber, in a variety of structures, ranging from space­ matrix, filler) materials; craft and aircraft to buildings and bridges. • manufacturing techniques; This wide use of composites has been facili­ • analysis and design; tated by the introduction of new materials, • testing; improvements in manufacturing processes • mechanically fastened and bonded joints; and developments of new analytical and test­ • repair; ing methods. Unfortunately, information on • damage tolerance; these topics is scattered in journal articles, in • environmental effects; conference and symposium proceedings, in and disposal; • health, safety, reuse, workshop notes, and in government and com­ • applications in: pany reports. This proliferation of the source - aircraft and spacecraft; material, coupled with the fact that some of - land transportation; the relevant publications are hard to find or - marine environments; are restricted, makes it difficult to identify and - biotechnology; obtain the up-to-date knowledge needed to - construction and infrastructure; utilize composites to their full advantage. - sporting goods. This book intends to overcome these diffi­ Each chapter, written by a recognized expert, culties by presenting, in a single volume, is self-contained, and contains many of the many of the recent advances in the field of'state-of-the-art'techniques reqUired for prac­ composite materials. The main focus of this tical applications of composites.

This Volume 13 of the Fracture Mechanics of Ceramics series constitutes the th Proceedings of the 7 International Symposium on the fracture mechanics of ceramics held at the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia on July 20 to 22, 1999. The series started from the Proceedings of the 1 st Symposium at the Pennsylvania State University that has been held on 1973 (Vols. 1 and 2), followed by 1977 and 1981 Years meetings (Vols. 3 to 6) which were held at the Pennsylvania State University, too. Volumes 7 and 8 are from the 1985 Symposium which was held at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Volumes 9 and 10 are from the 1991 Symposium at Japan Fine Ceramic Centre, Nagoya, and Volumes 11 and 12 are from the 1995 Symposium at Kernforschungszentrum, Karlsruhe. The theme of the Symposium was focused on the mechanical behaviour of advanced ceramics in terms of the cracks, particularly the crack-microstructure interaction, delayed failure, environmental effects in fracture. Special attention was paid on the novel methods in fracture mechanics testing, pre-standardisation and standartisation. The authors from 19 countries represented the current state of that field. The International Scientific Committee gratefully acknowledge the sponsoring provided by The Russian Academy of Sciences and, personally, Academician Yu.S.Osipov, President of RAS; The Ministry of Science and Technologies of the Russian Federation, Prof. G.Terestchenko; Russian Foundation for Basic Research, Academician I.Moiseev; Scientific Technical Center'Bacor', Dr. B.Krasnij; Gzhel Ltd., Prof.

Knowledge of the refractive indices and absorption coefficients of semiconductors is especially import in the design and analysis of optical and optoelectronic devices. The determination of the optical constants of semiconductors at energies beyond the fundamental absorption edge is also known to be a powerful way of studying the electronic energy-band structures of the semiconductors. The purpose of this book is to give tabulated values and graphical information on the optical constants of the most popular semiconductors over the entire spectral range. This book presents data on the optical constants of crystalline and amorphous semiconductors. A complete set of the optical constants are presented in this book. They are: the complex dielectric constant (E=e.+ieJ, complex refractive index (n•=n+ik), absorption coefficient (a.), and normal-incidence reflectivity (R). The semiconductor materials considered in this book are the group-IV elemental and binary, llI-V, IT-VI, IV-VI binary semiconductors, and their alloys. The reader will fmd the companion book'Optical Properties of Crystalline and Amorphous Semiconductors: Materials and Fundamental Principles'useful since it emphasizes the basic material properties and fundamental prinCiples.

In this book the characteristics of synchrotron radiation, including insertion device radiation, are described and derived from first principles. The reader is first introduced to the subject in an intuitive way in order to gain familiarity with the underlying physical processes. A rigorous mathematical derivation of the theory then follows. Since the characteristics of synchrotron radiation are intimately connected with the parameters of the electron beam and its accelerator, a basic introduction to electron beam dynamics and accelerator design is included. The book is aimed at graduate students and scientists working with synchrotron radiation and is designed to serve both as a textbook and as a reference work. It includes numerous exercises, some with solutions.

These volumes, 9 and 10, of Fracture Mechanics of Ceramics constitute the proceedings of an international symposium on the fracture mechanics of ceramic materials held at the Japan Fine Ceramics Center, Nagoya, Japan on July 15, 16, 17, 1991. These proceedings constitute the fifth pair of volumes of a continuing series of conferences. Volumes 1 and 2 were from the 1973 symposium, volumes 3 and 4 from a 1977 symposium, and volumes 5 and 6 from a 1981 symposium all of which were held at The Pennsylvania State University. Volumes 7 and 8 are from the 1985 symposium which was held at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The theme ofthis conference, as for the previous four, focused on the mechanical behavior ofceramic materials in terms of the characteristics ofcracks, particularly the roles which they assume in the fracture processes and mechanisms. The 82 contributed papers by over 150 authors and co-authors represent the current state of that field. They address many of the theoretical and practical problems ofinterest to those scientists and engineers concerned with brittle fracture.

This volume (Parts A and B) contains the edited papers presented at the annual Review of Progress in Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation held at Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME on July 24-28, 1989. The Review was organized by the Center for Advanced NDE at the Ames Laboratory of the U. S. Department of Energy, in cooperation with the Office of Basic Energy Sciences, USDOE, and the Materials Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The statistics for the 1989 Review of Progress in QNDE include a total of over 460 participants from the U. S. and nine foreign countries who presented some 325 papers. Over the years this conference has grown into one of the largest, most significant gatherings of NDE researchers and engineers in the world. The meeting was divided into 35 sessions, with as many as four sessions running concurrently, and covering all stages of NDE development from basic research investigations to early engineering applications and all methods of inspection science from ultrasonics to x-ray tomography. The Editors have organized the papers in the Proceedings according to topical subject headings, rather than in the original order of presentation. This rearrangement yields a more user-friendly reference work and follows a pattern now familiar to regular attendees of the Review. Some changes in the headings and their subcategories have been introduced to accommodate dynamic evolution of the field, as we observe it.

The objectives of this book are twofold: 1. To provide a thorough examination of the materials science of cellulosic fibers with emphasis on the characterization of structure-property relations, and 2. To advance knowledge of how to best analyze cellulosic fibrous networks and composites, and, ultimately, engineer'novel'cellulose-based systems of superior performance and functionality. The design of new materials through the study of living systems, or bio-imitation, is burgeoning to become an established field, generally referred to as biomimetics. The latter, as with materials science, in general, prominently features multi-disciplinarity where new developments in mathematics, physics, chemistry and engineering continue to inspire novel areas of research and development. The book is structured in five chapters which provide a sequential treatment of the running theme: deformation mechanics and the physical, morphological and mechanical characterization of native cellulose fibers networks and composites. The heart of the book is Chapter 3, Damage Accumulation in Fibers, which treats the experimental methodology for fatigue testing of single fibers and the engendered results. In-depth examinations of the morphology, structure and chemical composition of native cellulose fibers, and the mechanics of deformation in these natural composite fibers are proffered in Chapters 1 and 2, respectively. The fourth chapter, Fractal Simulation of Crack Propagation, presents a fractal-based approach to modeling damage accumulation in materials. Fractals lend themselves well to modeling such randomly-oriented phenomena as crack propagation and fracture. The last chapter, Fibrous Structures: Networks and Composites, comprises analytical approaches for handling networks and composites.

My heart sank when I was approached by Dr Hastings and by Professor Briggs (Senior Editor of Materials Science and Technology and Series Editor of Polymer Science and Technology Series at Chapman & Hall, respectively) to edit a book with the provisional title Handbook of Poly­ propylene. My reluctance was due to the fact that my former book [1] along with that of Moore [2], issued in the meantime, seemed to cover the information demand on polypropylene and related systems. Encour­ aged, however, by some colleagues (the new generation of scientists and engineers needs a good reference book with easy information retrieval, and the development with metallocene catalysts deserves a new update!), I started on this venture. Having some experience with polypropylene systems and being aware of the current literature, it was easy to settle the titles for the book chapters and also to select and approach the most suitable potential contributors. Fortunately, many of my first-choice authors accepted the invitation to contribute. Like all editors of multi-author volumes, I recognize that obtaining contributors follows an S-type curve of asymptotic saturation when the number of willing contributors is plotted as a function of time. The saturation point is, however, never reached and as a consequence, Dear Reader, you will also find some topics of some relevance which are not explicitly treated in this book (but, believe me, I have considered them).

Diamond-based composites, with their advantages of hardness, high Young's modulus and the like, have demonstrated new and unusual features, such as stability to high temperatures and pressure shocks and a large internal surface that can be controlled to offer customised electrical, magnetic and optical properties, leading to efficient filters, absorbents, sensors and other tools for environmental control and monitoring. The current book covers the synthesis of materials, their characterization and properties, trends in high pressure and high temperature technologies, low pressure technologies, basic principles of DBC material science, and future developments in electronics, optics, industrial tools and components, biotechnology, and medicine. Wide band-gap materials are considered, ranging from molecular clusters, nanophase materials, growth, processing and synthesis. The processing of composite based materials can be classified into six basic methods: in situ growth, high pressure/high temperature catalytic conversion; mix and sinter (c-BN plus metal-ceramic polymer mix); direct sintering; direct polymorphic conversion; shock detonation; and SHS sintering.

These Proceedings, consisting of Parts A and B, contain the edited versions of most of the papers presented at the annual Review of Progress in Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation held at University of San Diego, San Diego, CA, on July 27 to August 1, 1997. The Review was organized by the Center for NDE at Iowa State University, in cooperation with the Ames Laboratory of the USDOE, the American Society of Nondestructive Testing, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the National Science Foundation IndustrylUniversity Cooperative Research Centers. This year's Review of Progress in QNDE was attended by approximately 370 participants from the US and many foreign countries who presented a total of approximately 350 papers. As usual, the meeting was divided into 36 sessions with four sessions running concurrently. The Review covered all phases of NDE research and development from fundamental investigations to engineering applications and inspection systems, and methods of inspection science from acoustics to x-rays. The Review continues to experience some fluctuations in size, mostly under pressure from a decrease in funding for NDE research at the US Federal level, but increased participation from foreign laboratories has more than made up the difference. The Review is ideally sized to permit a full-scale overview of the latest developments in a collegial atmosphere that most participants favor. The opening plenary session this year concentrated on advances in imaging technologies and methodologies that have been made in recent years. Dr. K.

Optical Properties of Crystalline and Amorphous Semiconductors: Materials and Fundamental Principles presents an introduction to the fundamental optical properties of semiconductors. This book presents tutorial articles in the categories of materials and fundamental principles (Chapter 1), optical properties in the reststrahlen region (Chapter 2), those in the interband transition region (Chapters 3 and 4) and at or below the fundamental absorption edge (Chapter 5). Optical Properties of Crystalline and Amorphous Semiconductors: Materials and Fundamental Principles is presented in a form which could serve to teach the underlying concepts of semiconductor optical properties and their implementation. This book is an invaluable resource for device engineers, solid-state physicists, material scientists and students specializing in the fields of semiconductor physics and device engineering.

Abrasive water jet machining was introduced to manufacturing ten years ago and has been increasingly used for treating hard-to-machine and multi-layered materials and as an alternative tool for milling, turning, drilling and polishing. This is the first comprehensive review of the technique, dealing with a broad range of issues including mixing and acceleration processes, material removal mechanisms, process optimization and fluid mechanics. Explanations are given as the book follows the development of an abrasive water jet machining process, from tool generation through to machining results, supervision and control. This methodical journey through the field is marked by drawings, graphs and tables, many of which are being published here for the first time. Though the book is written at an academic level, it focuses very much on practical applications, which reflects the authors'extensive involvement with both laboratory research and industrial practices.

These volumes, 7 and 8, of Fracture Mechanics of Ceramics constitute the proceedings of an international symposium on the fracture mechanics of ceramic materials held at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia on June 19, 20 and 21, 1985. These proceedings constitute the fourth pair of volumes of a continuing series of conferences. The theme of this conference, as the previous three, focused on the mechanical behavior of ceramic materials in terms of the characteristics of cracks, particularly the roles which they assume in the fracture process. The 78 contributed papers by over 100 authors and co-authors represent the current state of the field. They address many of the theoretical and practical problems of interest to those concerned with brittle fracture. The program chairmen gratefully acknowledge the financial assistance for the Symposium provided by the EXXON Foundation, the Army Research Office, the National Science Foundation, and the Office of Naval Research. Without their support, this conference simply would not have been possible. The suggestions of Drs. J. C. Hurt, R. C. Pohanka, and L. Toth were particularly helpful in assuring the'success of this symposium. Special appreciation is extended to Professor J. I. Robertson, C. P. Miles Professor of History, whose presentation following the banquet on the American Civil War was very well received by the audience. Finally, we wish to also thank our joint secretaries, especially Karen Snider, for their patience and help in finally bringing these proceedings to press.

The papers contained herein were presented at the Fourth International Conference on Composite Structures (ICCS/4) held at Paisley College of Technology, Scotland in July 1987. The Conference was organised and sponsored by Paisley College of Technology. It was co-sponsored by the Scottish Development Agency, the National Engineering Laboratory, the US Air Force European Office of Aerospace Research and Development and the US Army Research, Development and Standardisation Group­ UK. It forms a natural and ongoing progression from the highly successful First, Second and Third International Conferences on Composite Structures (ICCS/l, ICCS/2 and ICCS/3) held at Paisley in 1981, 1983 and 1985 respectively. There is little doubt that composite materials are rightfully claiming a prominent role in structural engineering in the widest sense. Moreover, the range and variety of useful composites has expanded to a level inconceivable a decade ago. However, it is also true that this increasing utilisation has generated an enhanced awareness of the manifold factors which dictate the integrity of composite structures. This is indeed a healthy attitude to a relatively new dimension in structural engineering which will have an increasingly dominant role as the century progresses. Both the diversity of application of composites in structural engineering and the endeavours which will ensure their fitness for purpose are reflected herein.

The papers contained herein were presented at the Fourth International Conference on Composite Structures (ICCS/4) held at Paisley ColIege of Technology, Scotland in July 1987. The Conference was organised and sponsored by Paisley College of Technology. It was co-sponsored by the Scottish Development Agency, the National Engineering Laboratory, the US Air Force European Office of Aerospace Research and Development and the US Army Research, Development and Standardisation Group-­ UK. It forms a natural and ongoing progression from the highly successful First, Second and Third International Conferences on Composite Structures (ICCS/I, ICCS/2 and ICCS/3) held at Paisley in 1981, 1983 and 1985 respectively. There is little doubt that composite materials are rightfulIy claiming a prominent role in structural engineering in the widest sense. Moreover, the range and variety of useful composites has expanded to a level inconceivable a decade ago. However, it is also true that this increasing utilisation has generated an enhanced awareness of the manifold factors which dictate the integrity of composite structures. This is indeed a healthy attitude to a relatively new dimension in structural engineering which will have an increasingly dominant role as the century progresses. Both the diversity of application of composites in structural engineering and the endeavours which wilI ensure their fitness for purpose are reflected herein.

The papers contained herein were presented at the Sixth International Conference on Composite Structures (ICCS/6) held at Paisley College, Scotland in September 1991. The Conference was organised and sponsored by Paisley College. It was co-sponsored by Scottish Enterprise, the National Engineering Laboratory, the US Army Research, Development and Standardisation Group-UK, Strathclyde Regional Council and Renfrew District Council. It forms a natural and ongoing progression from the highly successful ICCS/1/2/3/4 and 5 held at Paisley in 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987 and 1989 respectively. As we enter the final decade of this century many organisations throughout the world are adopting a prophetic role by attempting to forecast future scientific advances and their associated impact on mankind. Although some would argue that to do so is folly, without such futuristic visionaries the world would be that much poorer. IntelJigent speculation based on research trends and historical advances, rather than fanciful theories, breathes a healthy air of enthusiasm into the scientific community. Surely this is the very oxygen necessary to ignite the fir~s of innovation and invention amongst pioneers of research.

This volume is a collection of the papers given at the workshop on Fracture Scaling, held at the University of Maryland, USA, 10-12 June 1999, under the sponsorship of the Office of Naval Research, Arlington, VA, USA. These papers can be grouped under five major themes: Micromechanical analysis Size effects in fiber composites Scaling and heterogeneity Computational aspects and nonlocal or gradient models Size effects in concrete, ice and soils. This workshop is the result of a significant research effort, supported by the Office of Naval Research, into the problems of scaling of fracture in fiber composites, and generally into the problems of scaling in solid mechanics. These problems, which are of interest for many materials, especially all quasibrittle materials, share similar characteristics. Thus, progress in the understanding of scaling problems for one material may help progress for another material. This makes it clear that a dialogue between researchers in various fields of mechanics is highly desirable and should be promoted. In view of this, this volume should be of interest to researchers and advanced graduate students in materials science, solid mechanics and civil engineering.

Composite Materials in Aerospace Design is one of six titles in a coherent and definitive series dedicated to advanced composite materials research, development and usage in the former Soviet Union. Much of the information presented has been classified until recently. Thus each volume provides a unique insight into hitherto unknown research and development data. This volume deals with the design philosophy and methodology used to produce primary and secondary load bearing composite structures with high life expectancies. The underlying theme is of extensive advanced composites research and development programs in aircraft and spacecraft applications, including the space orbital ship `BURAN'. The applicability of much of this work to other market sectors, such as automotive, shipbuilding and sporting goods is also examined in some detail. The text starts by describing typical structures for which composites may be used in this area and some of the basic requirements from the materials being used. Design of components with composite materials is then discussed, with specific reference to case studies. This is followed by discussion and results from evaluation of finished structures and components, methods of joining with conventional materials and finally, non-destructive testing methods and forecasting of the performance of the composite materials and the structures which they form. Composite Materials in Aerospace Design will be of interest to anyone researching or developing in composite materials science and technology, as well as design and aerospace engineers, both in industry and universities.

Fibre Science and Technology is one of six titles in a coherent and definitive series of volumes dedicated to advanced composite materials research, development and usage in the former Soviet Union. Much of the information presented has been classified until recently. Thus each volume provides a unique insight into hitherto unknown research and development data. This volume deals with the basic components of a composite material, namely the reinforcement and the encasing matrix material. Beginning with a specification of a range of reinforcing fibres (glass, carbon, organic, inorganic, ceramic), the book then considers in detail the development of such fibres and the significant range of properties achieved. An extensive test methodology used to evaluate the physical and mechanical properties of each type of fibre matrix combination is presented, and the production method employed for each constituent part is described. This book will be of interest to anyone involved in research or development in composite materials science and technology, both in industry and universities.

The problem of developing metal matrix (MCM) and metal-polymer (MPCM) composite materials is one of the most important in present­ day materials technology, for its solution is pivotal to the development of a number of leading technologies. The development of new fibrous and lamellar composite materials with improved physico-chemical, electrical, thermal and other properties is a springboard for qualitative scientific and technological advances not only in aerospace and shipbuilding technologies, but also in mechanical, power, electronic, electrical, radio engineering, transport, construction and other industries. The volume reviews the results of research programmes ac­ complished in recent years by Soviet scientists in the development of composite materials based on aluminium and magnesium matrices, polymatrix composites (composite materials) with metal and polymeric matrices reinforced with boron and carbon fibres, steel wire, fibre glass and other fillers. The volume also reviews present-day physico-chemical fundamen­ tals and basic principles for developing and optimizing metal matrix composites, and describes the most expedient and efficient methods of MCM and MPCM manufacturing. Special attention is devoted to the issue of manufacturing MCM structural members, and their machin­ ing and plastic working, as well as to coupling techniques.

A multi-authored, edited work. This volume forms a comprehensive treatise on the development, manufacture, testing and applications of a broad range of ceramic, glass ceramic and carbon matrix composite materials developed in the former Soviet Union. For each of these three classes of composite materials, background theory and extensive property data are also given.