Unified strength theory and its applications. (Q4826754)

Strength theories focus on the limit states of stress and strain in order to compare them with admissible stresses and strains. Uniaxial experiments and results are no more sufficient, and two- or three-axial studies are needed. Because different materials have different mechanical behaviour under complex stress-strain states, yield criteria and failure criteria play an important rôle. The goal of these theories is to ensure the safety of civil and mechanical structures. But -- in general -- such a theory can be applied to a small number of materials and states of stress and strain in their deterministic aspects, and does not cover the area of all problems which may arise, so that unified theories have been searched. Here, starting from the idea of thin-shear and twin-shear yield criterion, the author sets up a twin-shear strength theory and then a unified strength theory, the limit loci of which cover all regions of the convex limit loci and can be extended to the region of non-convex limit loci. The present book is not only a presentation of the theory, experiments, applications and history, but also a monograph on the own research of the author as it can be put in evidence by its contents, i.e.: 1. Introduction; 2. Stress states of elements; 3. Unified field criteria; 4. Verification of the yield criterion; 5. Extended unified field criterion; 6. Basic characteristics of strength of materials under complex stress; 7. Unified strength theory; 8. Experimental verification of strength theory; 9. Applications of the unified yield criterion; 10. The effects of failure criteria on structural analysis; 11. Historical reviews; 12. References and bibliography. Each chapter is followed by a summary and problems which concern the most important items. The last chapter contains a historical discussion and an exhaustive bibliography of more than thousand titles covering the interval 1638--2002. The book is intended to a large community of readers and represents an important contribution to the field.