it does not cover all the different aspects of fracture in these materials. Similar constraints render the section on experimental methods unable to justify its inclusion. A discussion on the applicability of the various models to these diverse materials and on the needs for experimentation coupled with the theory could have resulted in a more cohesive text.

A unique contribution of the book is that a thermodynamical basis is presented as a framework for the various constitutive models. As a con- sequence, the dissipation inequality is automatically satisfied for all for- mulations, a statement that cannot be made for most other books in this area and even for many papers in the literature. The approach is applied consistently to thermoelasticity, plasticity, viscoplasticity, and damage me- chanics.

Since the book is worthy of great praise, it is only fair to list some of the limitations. Although the authors incorporate physical mechanisms of de- formation as the first chapter, micromechnical developments are not used to construct constitutive models. Instead the approach is primarily phenom- enological, so there is a certain dichotomy between the implicit intent of the book and the actual approach. Incidentally, that is also true for most books available on this subject. The section on fracture mechanics deals mostly with ductile fracture and does not provide details on the nonlinear fracture in quasi-brittle materials. It does, however, discuss all the funda- mental aspects of fracture mechanics based on energy dissipation. Because the text is so condensed, there are numerous assumptions on potential functions and evolution equations that are glossed over, so that the reader is left with no real physical motivation in many cases. Also, there is no attempt to address the treatment of large deformations. Nevertheless, the book is very successful at presenting an overview of the existing state of theoretical knowledge in this field, and it is highly recommended for stu- dents, faculty, and research engineers involved in any aspects of advanced constitutive modeling.

AUTOMATIC MESH GENERATION; APPLICATION TO FINITE ELEMENT METHODS c

Book Review by V. N. Kaliakin 3

Associated with the power and versatility of the finite-element method is an appreciation of the importance of mesh-generation capabilities. Such capabilities reduce the effort expended by an analyst in mathematically modeling a problem under consideration. Over the past 20 years, numerous mesh-generation schemes possessing various degrees of sophistication have been proposed. To date, descriptions of the basic mesh-generation methods on which these schemes are based have appeared in numerous journal articles and review papers. Clearly a need existed for a comprehensive description and comparison of these methods. P. L. George's Automatic Mesh Generation; Application to Finite Element Methods reviews a majority of the mesh generation methods currently in use, addressing this very need.

cBy P. L. George: 380 pages, John Wiley and Sons, 1992, $89.95. 3Asst. Prof., Dept. of Civ. Engrg., Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716.

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The first four chapters of this book discuss general background infor- mation requisite for the study of mesh generation. The next eight chapters are devoted to specific classes of mesh-generation methods. A typical chap- ter contains an overview of the theory underlying a particular method and one or more examples that attempt to illustrate its application in discretizing two- and three-dimensional solution domains. In light of the fact that space restrictions preclude presentation of many details of each mesh-generation method, the author's approach is commendable. The final three chapters deal with mesh transformations, a discussion of some currently available mesh-generation software, and practical issues such as data structures and functions commonly associated with mesh generation.

With regard to the question Of perceived audience for the book, it is important to note that that outline of the fine-element method presented in chapter 1 of the book is quite terse. As such, the book is not suitable for use as a text in a beginning or intermediate class on the subject. Instead, its role would be that of a reference book, appropriate for researchers working on topics related to mesh generation, or possibly for students en- rolled in a class on advanced topics in the finite-element method. In the former role, the book is particularly useful in that it not only represents a synthesis of many of the mesh-generation methods current in use, but also provides a fairly extensive bibliography from which to initiate future studies.

~TRESSES IN L A Y E R E D SHELLS OF REVOLUTION d

Book Review by Horst Witte 4

Layered components, especially sandwich constructions, are key com- ponents in engineering enterprises. They are used in aircraft and building industries, for silos and pressure vessels, for thermal protecting shields, and for underwater containers. Usually, layered components consists of two or three layers, with outer layers of metal (steel or aluminum), glass, or rein- forced-plastic materials; a core of foamed plastic, cork, balsa wood, light- weight concrete, or honeycombed thin-walled elements of metal or paper; and a third adhesive component bonding the outer layers with the core. Sandwich constructions generally have a high load-bearing capacity at a low weight, a good acoustic insulation, and an excellent thermal insulation ca- pacity; the materials are also suited for prefabrication and mass production. For designing sandwich constructions, an engineer needs theoretical knowl- edge of the materials' mechanical and thermal behaviors as linear elements (beams), plane elements (plates), and curved elements (shells). Metal ma- terials can be calculated by elastic theory; and for plastic materials visco- elastic theory is relevant.

Kovafik's book is based on his own research, considering publications from the Western Hemisphere (e.g., Plantema) and the Eastern Hemisphere (e.g., Ambartsumian). The first half of Stresses in Layered Shells of Rev- olution is concerned with orthotropic elastic shells, and includes the mem- brane theory of cylindrical, spherical, and conical shells, and the bending

dBy Vaclav Kovafik: 442 pages; Elsevier Science, 1989, $173.75. 4Doctor of Engrg., Harem, Federal Republic of Germany.

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