There are a series of whotly analysis, including incremental
analytical papers involving bending
or buckling of thin plates, but these
are mostly the familiar isotropic
theories with a few more compliance
terms. There is evidence of a reaction
against expensive finite element
studies and several papers try for
simplified formula which can be used
as a general purpose design tool. One
exception is a formidable finite
element analysis of failure and fracture
in a multilaminate composite plate
with stress concentrations, including
through-thickness stresses and matrix
kinematic hardening and orthotropic
plasticity. Such numerical adventures
are valuable fundamental research
since there is no other way to measure
experimentally such detailed pro-
gressive three-dimensional failure.
The following short list of indus-
trial contributions shows how the
conference flavour might have altered
had there been more: structural
applications for pultrusions; large
GRP butterfly valves; thermal control
of tubular structures in space; sand-
wich structures for light turrets; basic
failure mechanisms and related aircraft
design implications. There is to be a
third conference in two years' time,
so perhaps there is an opportunity for
work to move from the composite
to the structure.
G. A. O. Davies
Finite element procedures in engineer-
ing analysis
K.-J. Bathe
Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, USA,
1982, £28.50
The monograph is an updated and
extended version of the book 'Numeri-
cal methods in finite element analysis'
by Bathe and Wilson (1976). The book
is organized into three main parts:
1, Vector, matrix and tensor analysis;
2, The finite element method; 3,
Solution procedures for finite element
equilibrium equations for static and
dynamic problems.
The focus of the book is primarily
toward static and dynamic structural
analysis with only some limited dis-
cussion of other field problems, like
heat transfer and fluid flow. Reflecting
the authors' broad experience and
preference the presentation is almost
exclusively based on the displacement
method with a relatively brief
discussion of other formulations which
are becoming increasingly popular. In
relation to the earlier book the
primary extension is a lucid descrip-
tion of the concepts of nonlinear
154 Engng Struct., 1984, Vol. 6, April
one could argue that an engineer's
formulations and constitutive rela-
tions. The part is especially valuable
because the material is written in the
sense of finite element oriented
computational mechanics. At least to
the reviewer's knowledge this is the
only book in which this topic is
presented in such a detailed way.
A valuable component of the dis-
cussion of dynamic problems given
already in the previous version is the
very complete presentation of solution
schemes for eigenvalue problems,
including effective methods for solving
large sets of equations.
The book is written at a level which
gives appropriate consideration to the
physical as well as the mathematical
aspects of the subject and the concepts
are reinforced by many meaningful
examples. It is especially well
presented from the educational stand-
point, either as a basis for self-study
or as a complement to a graduate level
course in finite element analysis. It
should be noted, however, that the
treatment is detailed and complete and
therefore may be unsuitable for the
complete novice.
In conclusion it can be said that the
book can certainly be recommended
to students as well as practising
engineers. Despite the fact that a large
part of the book has already been
described in the earlier version the new
part alone with the excellent descrip-
tion of the nonlinear formulations
justifies the extra expenditure.
E. Ramm
Theory of shell structures
C. R. Calladine
Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, 1983, 763 pp., £75.00
A complete and weU-balanced expo-
sition of shell theory and its applica-
tion to engineering is largely precluded
by the complex nature and special
features of shell structures. Thus, some
authors prefer to concentrate on the
rigorous derivation of general
equations: in several important
respects such a rigour is fully justified,
but it usually becomes a rigor mortis
when it comes to seeking solutions
to actual problems. At the other
extreme, many workers concentrate
their efforts on providing special
numerical schemes. Essential as these
methods are for tackling many
difficult problems, they do not pro-
vide a satisfactory physical under-
standing of overall structural be-
haviour, nor are they suitable for a
quick estimate of the effect of changes
in the main design parameters. Thus,
needs; especially those at the crucial
preliminary design stage; are best
served by those workers who adopt
a middle-of-the-road approach
between mathematical rigour and
exclusive reliance on numerical tech-
niques. Here the relevant equations are
simplified as far as possible so that an
approximate analytical solution is
obtained, hence enabling a parametric
study of the problem to be carried
out. This, of course, is largely the
approach adopted in the texts of
Tomoshenko and Woinowsky-Krieger,
and Flfigge, and it is no accident that
their works are still, despite certain
shortcomings, the most popular texts
on the subject.
In his book Dr Calladine argues
convincingly that the best way for
engineers to understand how shell
structures behave is to simplify the
mathematical ideas by concentrating
on those parameters which are likely
to be dominant. This is the central
theme of his book, and is applied to a
very wide range of topics. While many
of these topics have already received
detailed treatment in several of the
standard texts on shell theory, it is
noteworthy that Calladine often
presents such problems in a novel way,
and shows how they can be further
simplified. Other topics are the
author's own original contribution,
often drawn from his previous
specialist publications but sufficiently
reworked to ensure that a logical flow
of material is maintained throughout
the book.
The book consists of eighteen
chapters supplemented by several
useful appendices. At the end of each
chapter there is a carefully-planned set
of problems. The aim of these is not
merely to provide standard exercises
(as is the case in most textbooks):
rather, the problems are intended to
complement the main body of the
chapter of which they are an integral
part.
The first eight chapters form a
broad introduction to general
concepts. These basic ideas are inter-
spersed with simple case studies
illustrating some intrinsic features of
shell behaviour which reappear in
other, much more complicated prob-
lems. The overall simplicity of the
presentation is deceptive, for these
early chapters mark a radical departure
from the usual approach adopted in
existing texts: in fact, the author's
treatment of the two fundamental
concepts of equilibrium and compati-
bility represents a brilliantly original
contribution to shell theory. The
equilibrium of a shell is viewed as the
combined action of two conceptually
distinct, though physically coincident,
surfaces: one of these carries the in-