ODTÜ Yayıncılık, Ankara, 2008
The present book covers the basic syllabus of the Strength
of Materials course as taught in the Civil Engineering Department of Middle
East Technical University. In the
later chapters, however, some overlapping with the contents of the course
entitled Introduction to Structural Mechanics has been unavoidable.
The mechanics of
deformable bodies, traditionally known as strength of materials, is a
stimulating subject. The laws of equilibrium, familiar from statics, are
tempered not only by the constraints of geometric compatibility but also by the
peculiarities of material behavior. The student learns to tackle real structures that twist and buckle,
bend and break or, more frequently, bear loads safely and efficiently. It is
essential that the student should appreciate that the complete solution of a problem
in the mechanics of deformable bodies involves the interaction of mathematical
relations from statics, the deformed configuration of the system, and the constitution
of the material.
Some students are reluctant to work out the intermediate
algebraic steps of a problem and would rather accept a reasonable-looking
result uncritically. An attempt has therefore been made to keep the line of
mathematical manipulation unbroken and to follow through to the final answer.
The objective has been throughout not to impress students, but to encourage
them to learn.
The subject matter and presentation in the book have been
moulded by the authors' teachers, colleagues and students, and by the very many
well-known books on the mechanics of deformable bodies. In the opinion of the
two senior authors, readers familiar with the previous edition of this book
will observe that as a result of the efforts of Dr. Erdem Canbay – who now
forms part of the team as a co-author – both the contents and the format of the
text have visibly improved. For his assistance with the digital rendering of
equations, Mr Oktay Sevencan deserves our thanks. The text has also benefited
substantially from the critical comments of Dr. Aybar Ertepınar and Dr. Mehmet
Utku. The late Professor Alex Scordelis of the