The inelastic behavior of engineering materials and structures

After a short introduction, this book falls into three main parts, dealing respectively with " the Structural Aspects of Mechanical Behaviour," " the Mechanics of Inelastic Deformation" and "Application of the Mechanics of Inelastic Behaviour." The object of this division is to present a complete picture of the mechanical behaviour of materials strained beyond the elastic range, combining the physical and engineering approaches. Of necessity, therefore, it must attempt to present current views in the fields of physics, physical metallurgy, chemistry (to a limited extent) and engineering. This is a wide field for a single author to cover in an authoritative manner, but the quality of the book must be assessed on the relative success with which it is done. Considering the physical point of view first, it must be confessed that the first two chapters are much the same as has been written in a number of earlier books on metal physics. This is not unexpected and is only to be construed as criticism in that the emphasis might have been placed rather differently. For example it might be questioned whether the space given to Bohr's model of the atom and similar basically physical subjects in Chapter I might not have been spent on a lengthier development of the sections dealing with the effects of departure from a perfect crystal lattice, and of metallographic structures on the inelastic properties. The second and longest part of the book shows more clearly the approach of the engineer but this section contains a number of interesting descriptive interludes. The section on creep and relaxation seems a particularly clear description of the phenomena involved, while those on work hardening and fracture contain some thought-provoking suggestions, not all of which are orthodox. Finally, the earlier ideas are developed and applied to some particular cases and the book concludes with a chapter on the significance of mechanical testing which is most interesting and useful. The book contains much stimulating and interesting material but it is not uniformly successful in achieving its objects. In part this is because the aim is high and in part because the method of presentation with alternations of analytical and descriptive matter is not always conducive to easy reading. Nevertheless, the author succeeds in impressing his own point of view on the material he has accumulated and the result is a volume which is well worth reading, although the reader may find himself differing from the author on many points. The engineer using the book as a guide to information outside his usual field should regard it as a starting point and be inclined to consult some of the many references which are given throughout the book.