EXPERIMENTAL SOLID MECHANICS

Experimental Solid Mechanics describes methods used to measure forces, pressure, displacements, stresses, strains and fracture mechanics parameters. Measurements described include electrical and optical methods. The Text is intended for upper-division undergraduate students or graduate students beginning to study experimental methods. Extensive revisions have been incorporated, which reflects many of the changes in experimental mechanics that have occurred during the past decade. A significant amount of new content has been added by expanding existing chapters and by introducing new chapters. Some material covering outdated methods have been removed. The organization of the textbook includes five parts, which are briefly described below:
Part I: Elementary Elasticity and Fracture Mechanics Contains the chapters on elasticity and an introductory chapter on elementary fracture mechanics.
Part II: Displacement and Strain Measurement Methods Contains four chapters describing up to date techniques for measuring these quantities.
Part III: Optical-Methods of Stress, Strain and Displacement Analysis the core of this textbook, includes eight chapters.
Part IV: Measurements under High Strain Rates and Small Length Scales consists of two chapters that are new and they reflect the growing interest in high- rate loading in the measurement of material properties and in the behavior of nanoscale materials.
Part V: Measurement and Analysis Methods contains two chapters. Each part of the book is essentially independent so that instructors can be quite flexible in selecting course content. The essential feature of the text is its completeness in introducing the entire range of experimental methods to the student. Laboratory exercises have not been included, because laboratory work will depend strongly on local conditions such as the equipment and supplies available the instructor’s interests, the number of students in the class and research activities of current interest. Believed that the instructor is best qualified to specify the associated laboratory exercises on the basic of interest, equipment, supplies and time available for this important supplement to the course. A significant amount of new material has been added to edition; however, space limitations did not permit coverage of the many modern research topics such as, bio- mechanics, smart structure MEMs, etc.