This book is concerned with the general theory of finite deflections of thin elastic plates and shells. The nature of the governing equations is such that deflections are essentially limited to several times the plate or shell thickness, in the spirit of the usual von Karman approximation. Finite deflections of laterally loaded rectangular plates with various edge conditions are treated in detail. The postbuckling behavior of ordinary and rib-stiffened rectangular plates subject to in-plane loads is also examined. The finite deflections of circular plates subject to axisymmetric lateral or in-plane loads are examined. Finite deflections of shallow shells in the form of curved panels subject to lateral load are studied on the basis of an approximate shell theory. The postbuckling behavior of cylindrical panels subject to various in-plane normal and shear forces is treated in detail. The finite-deflection buckling of circular cylindrical shells subject to axial compression, lateral loads, or torsion is examined with a consideration of the effects of initial geometric imperfections. Lastly, the finite-deformation buckling of spherical shells and spherical caps is treated by an approximate shell theory. The approximate theories are correlated with available experimental evidence wherever possible.

This book focuses on the computational analysis of nonlinear vibrations of structural members (beams, plates, panels, shells), where the studied dynamical problems can be reduced to the consideration of one spatial variable and time. The reduction is carried out based on a formal mathematical approach aimed at reducing the problems with infinite dimension to finite ones. The process also includes a transition from governing nonlinear partial differential equations to a set of finite number of ordinary differential equations.Beginning with an overview of the recent results devoted to the analysis and control of nonlinear dynamics of structural members, placing emphasis on stability, buckling, bifurcation and deterministic chaos, simple chaotic systems are briefly discussed. Next, bifurcation and chaotic dynamics of the Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko beams including the geometric and physical nonlinearity as well as the elastic-plastic deformations are illustrated. Despite the employed classical numerical analysis of nonlinear phenomena, the various wavelet transforms and the four Lyapunov exponents are used to detect, monitor and possibly control chaos, hyper-chaos, hyper-hyper-chaos and deep chaos exhibited by rectangular plate-strips and cylindrical panels.The book is intended for post-graduate and doctoral students, applied mathematicians, physicists, teachers and lecturers of universities and companies dealing with a nonlinear dynamical system, as well as theoretically inclined engineers of mechanical and civil engineering.

Prof. W. Z. Chien was born on 9 October, 1912 and 1982 saw the 70th anniversary of his birth. Some of his friends, colleagues, and former students prepared this special volume in honour of his outstanding contribution to the field of mechanics. The volume does not contain contributions from all of his students and friends and for this we apologize. Prof. Chien's family have lived. in Qufangquiao Village, Hongshengli, Wuxi County, Jiangsu Province for generations. Many members of his family have been teachers in this village. When he was 14 years old his father died and for a time it appeared necessary to terminate his education but, fortunately, an uncle, Chien Mu, who later became a very famous historian in China, came to his aid and he was able to continue his studies. In 1931 he took entrance exams and was simultaneously admitted to five prestigious Chinese universities. Of these, he chose to enter Tsing-hau University in Beijing, with major work in physics. He received his baccaulaurate in 1935 and taught at middle school for a time until he was awarded a Sino:'British scholarship to study abroad. In the competition for this award, three of the recipients were in the field of mechanics: Prof. C. C. Lin, Prof. Kuo Yung-huai, and Prof. Chien Wei-zang. All three arrived in Toronto in August, 1940 and entered the Depart ment of Applied Mathematics of the University of Toronto to study under Prof. J. L. Synge.