As a practicing engineer, I was refreshed to find such a well-organized, no-fluff reference on laminated composites.The examples are presented in a concise, piecemeal fashion; they are worked start-to-finish, right down to the algebra in many cases.No insulting assumptions about your level of competence are to be found.The section on design and analysis provides an excellent arrangement of fully-worked engineering problems ranging from filament-wound driveshafts and pressure vessels (to demonstrate mixed-loadcase scenarios) to weight and cost optimization strategies for those interested in comparing composites to isotropic materials like steel and aluminum.
While the book provides an excellent overview of classical laminated plate theory, the one thing I found to be in want of was a proper section on the analysis of plates and shells.For that, the mathematically inclined reader is directed to J.N. Reddy's authoritative treatise on composites titled Mechanics of Laminated Composite Plates and Shells.
That is not to say that Mr. Kaw's title is in any way inferior to Reddy's work.It's rather like comparing apples to oranges; as such, to pit the two works against one another is inappropriate.On the one hand, Kaw provides a very digestable (and long overdue) introduction to composite materials, going into great detail about the terminology, sign conventions, coordinate systems, and mechanical behavior of composites without becoming long-winded or mathematically convoluted.Reddy picks up where Kaw leaves off, introducing variational methods like the Rayleigh-Ritz method, as well as energy principles from the likes of Galerkin.From there, the reader is presented with a rich array of analytical and numerical methods of finding stresses and strains under various types of loading and boundary conditions (which is what the practicing engineer is ultimately looking for).
What Reddy's work does for layerwise and shear-deformable theories of plates and shells, Kaw has done for the classical description of laminated composites.Mechanics of Composite Materials effectively bridges the gap between the outdated books of yesterday, and the technical articles that belong in academic journals.I can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for a proper introduction to the design and analysis of composites, while still being extremely accessible to the undergraduate.
Product Description
Today's composite materials often outshine traditional materials; they are lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and strong. Used in everything from aircraft structures to golf clubs, and serving industries from medicine to space exploration, composites are an exciting field of study for students, engineers, and researchers around the world. New applications ofthese versatile materials are being found daily.This innovative book provides a complete introduction to the mechanical behavior of composites. Geared to upper-level and graduate students, or practicing engineers and scientists interested in updating their knowledge, Mechanics of Composite Materials is a new approach to the topic. Unlike old-style texts, this book introduces the basics of composites through frequently asked questions the author answers from his considerable experience as a professor and researcher in the field. The text is supplemented by user-friendly PROMAL software, which allows readers to conduct studies, compare theories, design structures, and quickly access the information in tables and graphs. Richly illustrated and filled with problems, reviews, and examples, this is an excellent assessment of an exciting field.
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