It covers all the basic topics of mechanics of deformable bodies generally taught in these courses. The text presents the topics in a clear, simple, practical, logical and cogent fashion that provides the students with insights into theory as well as applications to practical problems. It uses an abundance of worked examples to impart a high level of comprehension of concepts and helps master the process of calculations, manipulations and that of making appropriate inferences. Well-labelled diagrams have been used throughout the text for a sound comprehension of the fundamentals of the subject. Most of the examples and chapter-end problems have been formulated in parametric form making them independent of units and suitable for practical applications. An extensive set of problems along with hints and answers is provided at the end of each chapter for practice. Since the book aims at covering the topics generally taught in engineering curriculum of several disciplines, an interdisciplinary approach has been followed. Some advanced topics such as thick pressure vessels, skew bending, curved members, beam-columns, etc. have also been included for the benefit of postgraduate students.

This book highlights the mechanics of the elastic elements made of steel alloys with 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 in 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 book stands as a valuable reference for professionals in practice as well as an advanced learning resource for students of structural and automotive engineering

Thereareabout500booksonvariationalprinciples. Theyareconcernedmostlywith the mathematical aspects of the topic. The major goal of this book is to discuss the physical origin of the variational principles and the intrinsic interrelations between them. For example, the Gibbs principles appear not as the rst principles of the theory of thermodynamic equilibrium but as a consequence of the Einstein formula for thermodynamic uctuations. The mathematical issues are considered as long as they shed light on the physical outcomes and/or provide a useful technique for direct study of variational problems. Thebookisacompletelyrewrittenversionoftheauthor’smonographVariational Principles of Continuum Mechanics which appeared in Russian in 1983. I have been postponing the English translation because I wished to include the variational pr- ciples of irreversible processes in the new edition. Reaching an understanding of this subject took longer than I expected. In its nal form, this book covers all aspects of the story. The part concerned with irreversible processes is tiny, but it determines the accents put on all the results presented. The other new issues included in the book are: entropy of microstructure, variational principles of vortex line dynamics, va- ational principles and integration in functional spaces, some stochastic variational problems, variational principle for probability densities of local elds in composites with random structure, variational theory of turbulence; these topics have not been covered previously in monographic literature.