Uncertainty and Optimization in Structural Mechanics

Structural Performance: Probability-Based Assessment

The Fracture of Brittle Materials: Testing and Analysis

Reinforced Concrete Beams, Columns and Frames
Mechanics and Design

Bio-aggregate-based Building Material

Using plant material as raw materials for construction is a relatively recent and original topic of research. This book presents an overview of the current knowledge on the material properties and environmental impact of construction materials made from plant particles, which are renewable, recyclable and easily available. It focuses on particles and as well on fibers issued from hemp plant, as well as discussing hemp concretes.
The book begins by setting the environmental, economic and social context of agro-concretes, before discussing the nature of plant-based aggregates and binders. The formulation, implementation and mechanical behavior of such building materials are the subject of the following chapters. The focus is then put upon the hygrothermal behavior and acoustical properties of hempcrete, followed by the use of plant-based concretes in structures. The book concludes with the study of life-cycle analysis (LCA) of the environmental characteristics of a banked hempcrete wall on a wooden skeleton.

Contents:

1. Environmental, Economic and Social Context of Agro-Concretes, Vincent Nozahic and Sofiane Amziane.
2. Characterization of Plant-Based Aggregates. Vincent Picandet.
3. Binders, Gilles Escadeillas, Camille Magniont, Sofiane Amziane and Vincent Nozahic.
4. Formulation and Implementation, Christophe Lanos, Florence Collet, Gérard Lenain and Yves Hustache.
5. Mechanical Behavior, Laurent Arnaud, Sofiane Amziane, Vincent Nozahic and Etienne Gourlay.
6. Hygrothermal Behavior of Hempcrete, Laurent Arnaud, Driss Samri and Étienne Gourlay.
7. Acoustical Properties of Hemp Concretes, Philippe Glé, Emmanuel Gourdon and Laurent Arnaud.
8. Plant-Based Concretes in Structures: Structural Aspect – Addition of a Wooden Support to Absorb the Strain, Philippe Munoz and Didier Pipet.
9. Examination of the Environmental Characteristics of a Banked Hempcrete Wall on a Wooden Skeleton, by Lifecycle Analysis: Feedback on the LCA Experiment from 2005, Marie-Pierre Boutin and Cyril Flamin.

Theory of Structures: Fundamentals, Framed Structures, Plates and Shells

This book provides the reader with a consistent approach to theory of structures on the basis of applied mechanics. It covers framed structures as well as plates and shells using elastic and plastic theory, and emphasizes the historical background and the relationship to practical engineering activities. This is the first comprehensive treatment of the school of structures that has evolved at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich over the last 50 years.

The many worked examples and exercises make this a textbook ideal for in-depth studies. Each chapter concludes with a summary that highlights the most important aspects in concise form. Specialist terms are defined in the appendix.

There is an extensive index befitting such a work of reference. The structure of the content and highlighting in the text make the book easy to use. The notation, properties of materials and geometrical properties of sections plus brief outlines of matrix algebra, tensor calculus and calculus of variations can be found in the appendices.

This publication should be regarded as a key work of reference for students, teaching staff and practising engineers. Its purpose is to show readers how to model and handle structures appropriately, to support them in designing and checking the structures within their sphere of responsibility.