This important study focuses on the way in which structures and materials can be best designed to absorb kinetic energy in a controllable and predictable manner. Understanding of energy absorption of structures and materials is important in calculating the damage to structures caused by accidental collision, assessing the residual strength of structures after initial damage and in designing packaging to protect its contents in the event of impact. Whilst a great deal of recent research has taken place into the energy absorption behaviour of structures and materials and significant progress has been made, this knowledge is diffuse and widely scattered. This book offers a synthesis of the most recent developments and forms a detailed and comprehensive view of the area. It is an essential reference for all engineers concerned with materials engineering in relation to the theory of plasticity, structural mechanics and impact dynamics. - Important new study of energy absorption of engineering structures and materials - Shows how they can be designed to withstand sudden loading in a safe, controllable and predictable way - Illuminating case studies back up the theoretical analysis

This work comprises papers based on some of the talks presented at the IUTAM Symposium of the same name, held in Cape Town, January 14-18, 2008. This volume treats cutting-edge issues in modelling, the behaviour of various classes of inelastic media, and associated algorithms for carrying out computational simulations. A key feature of the contributions are works directed at modelling behaviour at the meso and micro-scales, and at bridging the micro-macro scales.

Of interest to engineers from civil, military, nuclear, offshore, aeronautical, transportation and other backgrounds, this book contains the proceedings of a well-established conference on the subject that was first held in 1989. Topics covered include: Impact and Blast Loading Characteristics; Protection of Structures from Blast Loads; Energy Absorbing Issues; Structural Crashworthiness; Hazard Mitigation and Assessment; Behaviour of Steel Structures; Behaviour of Structural Concrete; Material Response to High Rate Loading; Seismic Engineering Applications; Interaction Between Computational and Experimental Results; Innovative Materials and Material Systems; Fluid Structure Interaction.The shock and impact behaviour of structures presents challenges to researchers not only because it has obvious time-dependent aspects, but also because it is difficult to specify the external dynamic loading characteristics and to obtain the full dynamic properties of materials. It is crucial that we find ways to share the contributions and understanding that are developing from various theoretical, numerical and experimental studies, as well as investigations into material properties under dynamic loading conditions. This book helps to meet that need.