As
in the previous editions, this book deals with the fundamentals of
st~~~cs
and their
application to
a
broad range
of
engineering problems. The treatment is intended
primarily for undergraduate students of civil, structural and environmental en
but we hope that it will also be of use to anyone with an interest in engineering
mechanics.
The present edition. contains a substantial revision
of
much
of
the text of the previous
work
md
several additions to it. We have removed much
of
the material related to
graphical methods
of
solution, which is now dated and less relevant. Rut in doing
so,
we
have tried to ensure that students can still gain
a
physical
understand in^
of the solution
to particular problems,
as
well
as
an analytical one,
A
new chapter on fluid statics (Chapter
14)
deals with the forces exerted on
submerged bodies,
as
well as with buoyancy and the stability
of
floating bodies. The
chapter on flexible cables (Chapter
9)
contains what is believed to be a new ~~proach to
the analysis
of
the
catenary
which allows for the direct solution
of
many cable problems
that have conventionally been solved using trial and error methods. The Appendix has
been added, dealing with the geometrical properties
of
plane figures. These properties
have been described and developed by considering some statics problems involving
parallel forces acting normal to a plane figure. This approach
is
directly applicable to
problems in fluid statics and to beam theory that may be studied in subsequent courses.
However, the equations are also of general application.
Additional tutorial problems have been added at the end of most chapters.
AS
Hall
FE
Archer
RI
Gilbert