Global sustainable development of the world economy requires better understanding and utilization of natural recourses. In this endeavor rheology has an indispensable role. The Rheology Conferences are therefore always an important event for science and technology. The Fifth European Rheology Conference, held from September 6 to 11 in the Portoro-z, Slovenia, will be the first AlI-European rheology meeting after the formal constitution of the European Society ofRheology. As such it will be a special historical event. At this meeting the European Society of Rheology will introduce the Weissenberg Medal, to be bestowed every four years to an individual for hislhers contribution to the field of Rheology. The recipient ofthe first award will be professor G. Marrucci ofthe Universita degli Studi di Napoli, Italy. Two mini Symposia will be part of the Conference. The first, on Industrial Rheology, will commemorate the late professor G. Astarita. The second will honor the eightieth birthday of professor N.W. Tschoegl. This volume comprises extended abstracts of the 15 plenary and keynote lectures and about 300 oral and poster contributions presented at this conference. AII contributed papers were reviewed by members ofthe European Committee on Rheology, assuring the high standard ofthe Conference. Besides the scientific program, the Organizing Committee has prepared an extensive social program that wilI reveal the culture and the natural beauties of Slovenia.

Following an invitation from the Czechoslovakian The scientific programme consisted of 14 plenary delegates at the First Conference of European Rheo lectures as weIl as 310 short presentations, which were logists at Graz in 1982 and adecision by the European held in six parallel sessions in seven half-day sittings. members of the International Committee of Rheology The provision of a reading room containing submitted at the 1983 "Conference of Engineering Rheology" in manuscripts of talks presented at the meeting proved London, the Rheology Group of the Czechoslovak to be popular and seems a worthwhile addition to any Chemical Society (Chairman: Doz. lug. l. Sestak meeting, at least those holding parallel sessions. There CSc.) was entrusted with the organization of the Sec was also a display by nine companies of a wide variety ond Conference of European Rheologists. For an of current rheological instruments. outline of the process leading to the decision to hold The programme for accompanying persons befitted such European meetings, see the Introduction to the the historical significance of the region. The evening Proceedings of the First Conference of European programme included an opening ceremony and recep Rheologists; Rheol Acta 21:355-356 (1982). tion on Monday and an informal banquet on Thurs This Conference was held in the Prague Palace of day as weIl as a visit to the opera.

A system is loosely defined as complex if it is composed of a large number of elements, interacting with each other, and the emergent global dynamics is qualitatively different from the dynamics of each one of the parts. The global dynamics may be either ordered or chaotic and among the most interesting emergent global properties are those of learning and adaptation.Complex systems, in the above sense, appear in many fields ranging from physics and technology to life and social sciences. Research in complex systems involves therefore a wide range of topics, studied in seemingly disparate fields. This calls for some effort to develop general principles and a common language so that tools developed in one field may be put to use in other fields.By collecting a few surveys of complex systems studies in physics and in technology and emphasizing their common mechanisms and interrelationships, this book attempts to contribute to the development of a common language in the sciences of complexity.Topics covered include: Integrated design in aeronautics; time and space decomposition of complex structures; complexity in electrical power networks; earthquake behaviour of structures; signal processing; fiability; use of unstable orbits in astrodynamics; dynamics of coupled oscillators; fuzziness; dark and bright solitons; neural networks; chaos and parametric perturbations; chaotic fluid dynamics; early vision and image restoration; stochastic processes in automated production lines.

Concrete will be the key material for Mankind to create the built environment of the next millennium. The requirements of this infrastructure will be bothde manding, in terms of technical performance and economy, and yet be greatly varied, from architectural masterpieces to the simplest of utilities.Modern concrete materials: Binders, Additions and Admixtures forms the proceedings of the three day International Conference held during the Congress, Creating with Concrete, 6-10 September 1999, organised by the Concrete Technology Unit, University of Dundee.

The Science and Technology of Flexible Packaging: Multilayer Films from Resin and Process to End Use, Second Edition provides a comprehensive guide on plastic films in flexible packaging, covering scientific principles, materials properties, processes and end use considerations. Sections discuss the science of multilayer films in a concise and impactful way, presenting the fundamental understanding required to improve product design, material selection and processes. In addition, the book includes information on why one material is favored over another and how film or coating affects material properties. Descriptions and analysis of key properties of packaging films are provided from engineering and scientific perspectives. With essential scientific insights, best practice techniques, environmental sustainability information and key principles of structure design, this book provides information aids in material selection and processing, how to shorten development times and deliver stronger products, and ways to enable engineers and scientists to deliver superior products with reduced development time and cost. - Provides essential information on all aspects of multilayer films in flexible packaging, including processing, properties, materials and end use - Bridges the gap between scientific principles and practical challenges - Includes explanations to assist practitioners in overcoming challenges - Enables the reader to address new challenges, such as design for sustainability and eCommerce

Presenting current knowledge in the field of mudflows, this book includes both rheological mudflow aspects, and information on mudflow characteristics in open channels. It includes sections on: · physical properties of suspensions · shear rheometry with suspensions · rheology of clay-water mixtures · rheology of mud suspensions · gradually and rapidly varied free surface flows Part of the IAHR Monograph Series, this informative book also includes fundamental equations for viscoplastic flows and provides the reader with helpful introductions to all the aspects it covers.

Most industrial and natural materials exhibit a macroscopic behaviour which results from the existence of microscale inhomogeneities. The influence of such inhomogeneities is commonly modelled using probabilistic methods. Most of the approaches to the evaluation of the safety of structures according to probabilistic criteria are somewhat scattered, however, and it is time to present such material in a coherent and up-to-date form. Probabilities and Materials undertakes this task, and also defines the great tasks that must be tackled in coming years. For engineers and researchers dealing with materials, geotechnics, solid mechanics, soil mechanics, statistics and stochastic processes. The expository nature of the book means that no prior knowledge of statistics or probability is required of the reader. The book can thus serve as an excellent introduction to the nature of applied statistics and stochastic modelling.