Some recent developments in linear viscoelastic stress analysis

Stimulated by the increasing use of plastics and polymers for components which must carry load, the theory and application of viscoelastic stress analysis has developed significantly in the four years since the last International Congress of Applied Mechanics. Certain aspects of the linear problem, published during this period, which have received particular attention from groups in the U.S.A., are summarized and reviewed in this paper. A brief introduction to these topics follows, with fuller assessment, including references, presented in subsequent sections.