Chien Ming Wang

As an emerging discrete structural model, the Hencky bar-chain/net model (HBM) has shown its advantages over other numerical methods in some problems. Owing to the discrete properties of HBM, it is also a suitable model for nano-scale structures which are currently a very hot research topic in mechanics. This book introduces the concepts and previous research of the Hencky bar-chain/net model, before demonstrating how beams, columns, arches, rectangular plates and circular plates could be successfully modelled by HBM. HBM comprises rigid bars connected by frictionless hinges with elastic rotational springs (and a system of torsional springs in the cells for plates). In the treatment of the above-mentioned structures, HBM is found to be mathematically equivalent to the first order central finite difference method (FDM). So HBM may be regarded as the physical structural model behind the FDM. This book is a compilation of the authors' research on the development of the Hencky bar-chain/net model, and is organized according to the development and application of HBM for beams, columns, frames, arches and rings, and plates. Exercises are provided at the end of each chapter to aid comprehension and guide learning. It is a useful reference for students, researchers, academics and practitioners in the field of structural analysis.

The main properties that make carbon nanotubes (CNTs) a promising technology for many future applications are: extremely high strength, low mass density, linear elastic behavior, almost perfect geometrical structure, and nanometer scale structure. Also, CNTs can conduct electricity better than copper and transmit heat better than diamonds. Therefore, they are bound to find a wide, and possibly revolutionary use in all fields of engineering. The interest in CNTs and their potential use in a wide range of commercial applications; such as nanoelectronics, quantum wire interconnects, field emission devices, composites, chemical sensors, biosensors, detectors, etc.; have rapidly increased in the last two decades. However, the performance of any CNT-based nanostructure is dependent on the mechanical properties of constituent CNTs. Therefore, it is crucial to know the mechanical behavior of individual CNTs such as their vibration frequencies, buckling loads, and deformations under different loadings. This title is dedicated to the vibration, buckling and impact behavior of CNTs, along with theory for carbon nanosensors, like the Bubnov-Galerkin and the Petrov-Galerkin methods, the Bresse-Timoshenko and the Donnell shell theory.