composite mechanics courses at lowa State University,the University of with them.The notes leading to this book were developed by teaching owe much of my understanding of composite mechanics to interactions Robert Sierakowski and Shive Chaturvedi at the University of Florida.I pleasure of spending a one-year leave working with C.T.and his colleagues began a long and productive association with C.T.Sun,and later had the After beginning my academic career at Iowa State University in 1975,I ultimately led to my career in university teaching and research. cemented my desire to continue working in the composites area and composites with Robert Plunkett at the University of Minnesota further education.My doctoral research on vibration damping characteristics of ence on my later career decision to emphasize composites research and the mechanical development group in Oak Ridge have had a strong influ- tions.My experiences working with Dean Waters and other colleagues in rotating equipment are numerous,as is the case in many other applica- ment.At that time I realized that the advantages of using composites in involved in the design and development of high-speed rotating equip- now part of Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee,where I.was composites began in 1965 with my first engineering position in what is remiss if I 'did not mention at least some of them.My fascination with 25 years of interactions with colleagues and students,and I would be The contents of this book represent the cumulative effects of more than of them related to practical composite structures,are also included. lished.A variety of example problems and homework problems,a number did not exist when the early mechanics of composites books were pub- maries of the most important ASTM standard test methods,many of which experimental mechanics of composites has been expanded to include sum- ture in Chapter 9,and mechanical testing in Chapter 10.The coverage of Chapter 6,viscoelastic behavior and dynamic behavior in Chapter 8,frac- as hygrothermal effects in Chapter 5,discontinuous fiber composites in with my own notes.Thus,I have added coverage of such important topics decades have made it increasingly necessary to supplement these books numerous new developments in composite mechanics over the last two Although many basic concepts have been presented in earlier textbooks, behavior in Chapter 8. in Chapter 2 to their use in the analysis of viscoelastic and dynamic Thus,effective modulus concepts are emphasized from their introduction for the proper development of heterogeneous composite micromechanics. books such as Mechanics of Composite Materials by Christensen,is essential geneous material,which had previously been covered only in advanced believe that the concept of an effective modulus of an equivalent homo- using the simpler theory of laminated beams in pure flexure.Also,I Principles of Composite Material Mechanics done it without her love,encouragement,patience,and understanding. supporter as I labored on this project,and there is no way that I could have Finally,my wife and best friend,Maryanne,has been my strongest Clarkson University. A&M University;C.T.Sun,University of Florida;and Steven W.Yurgartis, University;John M.Kennedy,Clemson University;Vikram K.Kinra,Texas Chaturvedi,Ohio State University;Vincent Choo,New Mexico State Oklahoma;Olivier A.Bauchau,Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute;Shive many helpful comments and suggestions:Charles W.Bert,University of McGraw-Hill and I would like to thank the following reviewers for their pany,and the Ford Motor Company have been particularly important. National Science Foundation,the Army Research Office,the Boeing Com- book possible.Grants from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research,the numerous funding agencies over the years has also helped to make this particularly important.Generous support for my composites research from port and encouragement of my department chairman,Ken Kline,has been Research Laboratory there in 1989,is gratefully acknowledged.The sup- Ronald F.Gibson University,which made it possible to establish the Advanced Composites several of the figures in Chapter 1.The strong support of Wayne State Research Laboratory,for his encouragement and support and for providing comments.I am grateful to Carl Johnson,also of the Ford Scientific I am indebted to John for his careful review of the manuscript and helpful Ford Scientific Research Laboratory has proved to be very rewarding,and recently,my collaboration with John Sullivan and his colleagues of the whom I team-taught a course on advanced mechanics of composites.Most Particularly important was the interaction with Cornelius Horgan,with his colleages for our many stimulating discussions during that year. Michigan State University in 1987,and I am indebted to Larry Drzal and Serious work on this book actually began during a sabbatical leave at uate students at the University of Idaho. Suarez,Lyle Deobald,Raju Mantena,and Jimmy Hwang,all former grad- has been referred to in this book.I am particularly indebted to Stalin ing of composite mechanics,and the work of several of those students students over the years has contributed immeasurably to my understand- finding the inevitable errors in my notes.Interaction with my graduate students at Wayne State University have been particularly effective at and helped me to "debug"these notes over the years.Most recently,my State University,and I am indebted to the students who took my classes Idaho,the University of Florida,Michigan State University,and Wayne Preface to First Edition