Mechanics of Composite Materials

By Autar K. Kaw

In 1997, Dr. Kaw introduced the first edition of Mechanics of Composite Materials, receiving high praise for its comprehensive scope and detailed examples. He also introduced the groundbreaking PROMAL software, a valuable tool for designing and analyzing structures made of composite materials. Updated and expanded to reflect recent advances in the field, this Second Edition retains all of the features -- logical, streamlined organization; thorough coverage; and self-contained treatment -- that made the first edition a bestseller.

The book begins with a question-and-answer style introduction to composite materials, including fresh material on new applications. The remainder of the book discusses macromechanical analysis of both individual lamina and laminate materials; micromechanical analysis of lamina including elasticity based models; failure, analysis, and design of laminates; and symmetrical and nonsymmetrical beams (new chapter). New examples and derivations are included in the chapters on micromechanical and macromechanical analysis of lamina, and the design chapter contains two new examples: design of a pressure vessel and design of a drive shaft. The author also adds key terms and a summary to each chapter. The most current PROMAL software is available via the author's often-updated Web site, along with new multiple-choice questions.

With superior tools and complete coverage, Mechanics of Composite Materials, Second Edition makes it easier than ever to integrate composite materials into your designs with confidence.

For instructions on downloading the associated PROMAL software, please visit http: //www.autarkaw.com/books/composite/promaldownload.html.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0849313430
• ISBN13: 9780849313431
• Release Date: November 2005
• Publisher: CRC Press
• Length: 490 Pages
• Weight: 1.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.2" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Excellent reference

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.

Useful and comprehensive

This book has described the materials very well. It is really perfect to be a textbook. Good examples and problems.

A Great Book!

This book is very good! I recommend it to any mechanical engineering student. It help me out alot!