Mechanics of Composite Structural Elements: Edition 2

Holm Altenbach · Johannes Altenbach · Wolfgang Kissing

Apr 2018 · Springer

About this ebook

Laminate and sandwich structures are typical lightweight elements with rapidly ex panding application in various industrial fields. In the past, these structures were used primarily in aircraft and aerospace industries. Now, they have also found ap plication in civil and mechanical engineering, in the automotive industry, in ship building, the sport goods industries, etc. The advantages that these materials have over traditional materials like metals and their alloys are the relatively high specific strength properties (the ratio strength to density, etc). In addition, the laminate and sandwich structures provide good vibration and noise protection, thermal insulation, etc. There are also disadvantages - for example, composite laminates are brittle, and thejoining of such elements is not as easy as with classical materials. The recycling of these materials is also problematic, and a viable solution is yet to be developed. Since the application of laminates and sandwiches has been used mostly in new technologies, governmental and independent research organizations, as well as big companies, have spent a lot of money for research. This includes the development of new materials by material scientists, new design concepts by mechanical and civil engineers as well as new testing procedures and standards. The growing de mands of the industry for specially educated research and practicing engineers and material scientists have resulted in changes in curricula of the diploma and master courses. More and more universities have included special courses on laminates and sandwiches, and training programs have been arranged for postgraduate studies.

About the author

Holm Altenbach (1956) is since 2011 a Full Professor at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Germany. Having obtained a Diploma Degree (1980) and a Doctoral Degree (1983) at the Leningrad Polytechnic he received the Facultas docendi in Engineering Mechanics in Magdeburg. In 1987 he obtained the Doctor of Engineering Sciences (Dr.-Ing.habil.) at the Leningrad Polytechnic. From 1987 up to 1995 he worked as a lecturer in the Institute of Material Science at the Magdeburg University. In 1996 he was appointed as a Full Professor in Engineering Mechanics at the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg. His research activities were awarded by the Krupp fellowship (Ruhr-University Bochum), the Gold medal of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Politechnika Lubelska (Lublin, Poland) and Dr.h.c. at the NTU “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute” (Ukraine), the Ovidius University Constanta (Romania) and the Vekua Institute of the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (Georgia). He acts as Editor-in-chief of “Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik” (ZAMM, founded 1921) and Advisory Editor of “Continuum Mechanics and Thermodynamics”.

Johannes Altenbach (1933) was Full Professor at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Technology “Otto von Guericke” Magdeburg, Germany. Having obtained a Diploma Degree in Mathematics (1957) at University of Leipzig, a Doctoral Degree (1961) and in 1967 a Doctor of Engineering Sciences (Dr.-Ing.habil.) in Magdeburg. From 1957 up to 1968 he worked as an assistant and lecturer in the Institute of Mechanics, later in the Institute of Statics and Steel Structures at the Magdeburg University. In 1968 he was appointed as a Full Professor in Engineering Mechanics at the University in Magdeburg. His research activities were awarded by Dr.h.c. at the NTU “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute” (Ukraine). He acts as Editor-in-chief of “Technische Mechanik” (founded 1980). He was retired in 1992.

Wolfgang Kissing (1938) was a Professor of Engineering Mechanics/Strength of Materials at the University of Applied Sciences Wismar, Germany. Having obtained a Diploma Degree in Mechanical Engineering (1962), a Doctoral Degree (1967) and in 1982 a Doctor of Engineering Sciences (Dr.-Ing.habil.) at the University of Technology “Otto von Guericke” Magdeburg. From 1962 up to 1970 he worked as an assistant in the Institute of Statics and Steel Structures at the Magdeburg University. In 1970 he was appointed as an Associate Professor in Wismar, where he obtained a professorship in 1990. He was retired in 2004.