Statics and Mechanics of Materials (5th Edition)

Book Preface

This book represents a combined abridged version of two of the author’s books, namely Engineering Mechanics: Statics, Fourteenth Edition and Mechanics of Materials, Tenth Edition. It provides a clear and thorough presentation of both the theory and application of the important fundamental topics of these subjects, that are often used in many engineering disciplines. The development emphasizes the importance of satisfying equilibrium, compatibility of deformation, and material behavior requirements. The hallmark of the book, however, remains the same as the author’s unabridged versions, and that is, strong emphasis is placed on drawing a free-body diagram, and the importance of selecting an appropriate coordinate system and an associated sign convention whenever the equations of mechanics are applied. Throughout the book, many analysis and design applications are presented, which involve mechanical elements and structural members often encountered in engineering practice.

NEW TO THIS EDITION

Preliminary Problems. This new feature can be found throughout the text, and is given just before the Fundamental Problems. The intent here is to test the student’s conceptual understanding of the theory. Normally the solutions require little or no calculation, and as such, these problems provide a basic understanding of the concepts before they are applied numerically. All the solutions are given in the back of the text.

• Improved Fundamental Problems. These problem sets are located just after the Preliminary Problems. They offer students basic applications of the concepts covered in each section, and they help provide the chance to develop their problem-solving skills before attempting to solve any of the
standard problems that follow.
• New Problems. There are approximately 80% new problems that have been added to this edition, which involve applications to many different fields of engineering.
• Updated Material. Many topics in the book have been re-written in order to further enhance clarity and to be more succinct. Also, some of the artwork has been enlarged and improved throughout the book to
support these changes.

• New Layout Design. Additional design features have been added to this edition to provide a better display of the material. Almost all the topics are presented on a one or two page spread so that page turning is minimized.
• New Photos. The relevance of knowing the subject matter is reflected by the real-world application of new or updated photos placed throughout the book. These photos generally are used to explain how the principles apply to real-world situations and how materials behave under load.

HALLMARK FEATURES

Besides the new features just mentioned, other outstanding features that define the contents of the text include the following.
Organization and Approach. Each chapter is organized into well-defined sections that contain an explanation of specific topics, illustrative example problems, and a set of homework problems. The topics within each section are placed into subgroups defined by boldface titles. The purpose of this is to present a structured method for introducing each new definition or concept and to make the book convenient for later reference and review.

Chapter Contents. Each chapter begins with a photo demonstrating a broad-range application of the material within the chapter. A bulleted list of the chapter contents is provided to give a general overview of the material that will be covered.
Emphasis on Free-Body Diagrams. Drawing a free-body diagram is particularly important when solving problems, and for this reason this step is strongly emphasized throughout the book. In particular, within the statics coverage some sections are devoted to show how to draw free-body diagrams. Specific homework problems have also been added to develop this practice.

Procedures for Analysis. A general procedure for analyzing any mechanics problem is presented at the end of the first chapter. Then this procedure is customized to relate to specific types of problems that are covered throughout the book. This unique feature provides the student  with a logical and orderly method to follow when applying the theory. The example problems are solved using this outlined method in order to clarify its numerical application. Realize, however, that once the relevant principles have been mastered and enough confidence and judgment have been obtained, the student can then develop his or her own procedures for solving problems.