Books in Civil and structural engineering

A Quick Guide to Health and Safety

1st Edition
May 20, 2008
R Gilbert
English
Paperback
9 7 8 1 8 4 5 6 9 4 9 9 9
eBook
9 7 8 1 8 4 5 6 9 5 0 0 2

Health and safety issues now impose upon almost every part of business life. The system of enforcement is managed and implemented in the UK by The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – but at times it can be difficult to know exactly which bits of this elaborate spider’s web should be applied in a given instance, and which are most important. This Quick Guide puts the subject into context, providing a rational overview and a valid starting point to applying health and safety in the workplace, and offers a concise and readily accessible interpretation of what health and safety legislation means in practice.

Design, Fabrication and Economy of Welded Structures

1st Edition
April 1, 2008
K Jarmai + 1 more
English
Hardback
9 7 8 1 9 0 4 2 7 5 2 8 2
eBook
9 7 8 1 7 8 2 4 2 0 4 8 4

These proceedings cover the fields of different materials and fatigue of welded joints, thin-walled structures, tubular structures, frames, plates and shells and also incorporate special optimization problems, fire and earthquake resistant design, special applications and applied mechanics, and thus provide an important reference for civil and mechanical engineers, architects, designers and fabricators.

Design and Optimization of Metal Structures

1st Edition
April 1, 2008
J Farkas + 1 more
English
eBook
9 7 8 1 7 8 2 4 2 0 4 7 7

An industrial book that analyses various theoretical problems, optimizes numerical applications and addresses industrial problems such as belt-conveyor bridge, pipeline, wind turbine power, large-span suspended roof and offshore jacket member. Multi-storey frames and pressure vessel-supporting frames are discussed in detail. The book’s emphasis is on economy and cost calculation, making it possible to compare costs and make significant savings in the design stages, by, for example, comparing the costs of stiffened and un-stiffened structural versions of plates and shells. In this respect, this book will be an invaluable aid for designers, students, researchers and manufacturers to find better, optimal, competitive structural solutions.

Pile Design and Construction Rules of Thumb

1st Edition
February 22, 2008
Ruwan Abey Rajapakse
English
Paperback
9 7 8 0 7 5 0 6 8 7 6 3 8
eBook
9 7 8 0 0 8 0 5 5 9 1 6 2

All objects and structures transfer their load either directly or indirectly to the earth. The capacity of the earth to support such loads depends on the strength and stability of the supporting soil or rock materials. Pile foundations are the part of a structure used to carry and transfer the load of the structure to the bearing ground located at some depth below ground surface. There are many texts on pile foundations. Generally, these books are complicated and difficult to understand. Easy to use and understand, this book covers virtually every subject concerning pile design, featuring techniques that do not appear in other books on the subject. The book contains design methods with real life examples on pin piles, bater piles, concrete piles, steel piles, timber piles, auger cast piles, underpinning design, seismic pile design, negative skin friction and design of Bitumen coated piles for negative skin friction and many other subjects. The book is packed with design examples, case studies and after construction scenarios are presented for the reader's benefits. This book enables the reader to come away with a complete and comprehensive understanding of the issues related to the design, installation and construction of piles.

Dielectric Elastomers as Electromechanical Transducers

1st Edition
January 22, 2008
Federico Carpi + 4 more
English
Hardback
9 7 8 0 0 8 0 4 7 4 8 8 5
eBook
9 7 8 0 0 8 0 5 5 7 7 2 4

Dielectric Elastomers as Electromechanical Transducers provides a comprehensive and updated insight into dielectric elastomers; one of the most promising classes of polymer-based smart materials and technologies. This technology can be used in a very broad range of applications, from robotics and automation to the biomedical field. The need for improved transducer performance has resulted in considerable efforts towards the development of devices relying on materials with intrinsic transduction properties. These materials, often termed as “smart” or “intelligent”, include improved piezoelectrics and magnetostrictive or shape-memory materials. Emerging electromechanical transduction technologies, based on so-called ElectroActive Polymers (EAP), have gained considerable attention. EAP offer the potential for performance exceeding other smart materials, while retaining the cost and versatility inherent to polymer materials. Within the EAP family, “dielectric elastomers”, are of particular interest as they show good overall performance, simplicity of structure and robustness. Dielectric elastomer transducers are rapidly emerging as high-performance “pseudo-muscular” actuators, useful for different kinds of tasks. Further, in addition to actuation, dielectric elastomers have also been shown to offer unique possibilities for improved generator and sensing devices. Dielectric elastomer transduction is enabling an enormous range of new applications that were precluded to any other EAP or smart-material technology until recently. This book provides a comprehensive and updated insight into dielectric elastomer transduction, covering all its fundamental aspects. The book deals with transduction principles, basic materials properties, design of efficient device architectures, material and device modelling, along with applications.

Geothermal Power Plants

2nd Edition
November 13, 2007
Ronald DiPippo
English
eBook
9 7 8 0 0 8 0 5 5 4 7 6 1

Ron DiPippo, Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, is a world-regarded geothermal expert. This single resource covers all aspects of the utilization of geothermal energy for power generation from fundamental scientific and engineering principles. The thermodynamic basis for the design of geothermal power plants is at the heart of the book and readers are clearly guided on the process of designing and analysing the key types of geothermal energy conversion systems. Its practical emphasis is enhanced by the use of case studies from real plants that increase the reader's understanding of geothermal energy conversion and provide a unique compilation of hard-to-obtain data and experience. An important new chapter covers Environmental Impact and Abatement Technologies, including gaseous and solid emissions; water, noise and thermal pollutions; land usage; disturbance of natural hydrothermal manifestations, habitats and vegetation; minimisation of CO2 emissions and environmental impact assessment.The book is illustrated with over 240 photographs and drawings. Nine chapters include practice problems, with solutions, which enable the book to be used as a course text. Also includes a definitive worldwide compilation of every geothermal power plant that has operated, unit by unit, plus a concise primer on the applicable thermodynamics.

Environmental Design Guidelines for Low Crested Coastal Structures

1st Edition
October 16, 2007
Stephen J. Hawkins + 3 more
English
Hardback
9 7 8 0 0 8 0 4 4 9 5 1 7
eBook
9 7 8 0 0 8 0 5 5 5 8 2 9

The effect of manmade activities is primarily local but can extend far away from the location of intervention. This underlines the importance of establishing coastal zone management plans covering large stretches of coastlines. In recent years, interest in Low Crested Structures (coastal defense structures with a low-crest) has been growing together with awareness of the sensitivity to environmental impacts produced by coastal defenses. The relation between wave climate, beach erosion, beach defence means, habitat changes and beach value, which clearly exists based on EC research results, suggests the necessity of an integrated approach when designing coastal protection schemes. In accordance with this need, the present design guidelines cover structure stability and construction problems, hydro and morphodynamic effects, environmental effects (colonisation of the structure and water quality), societal and economic impacts (recreational benefits, swimming safety, beach quality). Environmental Design Guidelines for Low Crested Coastal Structures is specifically dedicated to Low Crested Structures, and provides methodological tools both for the engineering design of structures and for the prediction of performance and environmental impacts of such structures. A briefing of current best practice for local and national planning authorities, statutory agencies and other stakeholders in the coastal zone is also covered. Presented in a generic way, this book is appropriate throughout the European Union, taking into account current European Commission policy and directives for the promotion of sustainable development and integrated coastal zone management.

Rules of Thumb for Maintenance and Reliability Engineers

1st Edition
October 1, 2007
Ricky Smith + 1 more
English
Paperback
9 7 8 0 7 5 0 6 7 8 6 2 9
eBook
9 7 8 0 0 8 0 5 5 2 0 7 1

Rules of Thumb for Maintenance and Reliability Engineers will give the engineer the “have to have” information. It will help instill knowledge on a daily basis, to do his or her job and to maintain and assure reliable equipment to help reduce costs. This book will be an easy reference for engineers and managers needing immediate solutions to everyday problems. Most civil, mechanical, and electrical engineers will face issues relating to maintenance and reliability, at some point in their jobs. This will become their “go to” book. Not an oversized handbook or a theoretical treatise, but a handy collection of graphs, charts, calculations, tables, curves, and explanations, basic “rules of thumb” that any engineer working with equipment will need for basic maintenance and reliability of that equipment.

Borehole Climatology

1st Edition
August 9, 2007
Louise Bodri + 1 more
English
Hardback
9 7 8 0 0 8 0 4 5 3 2 0 0
eBook
9 7 8 0 0 8 0 5 4 5 9 5 0

Climate for the 21st century is expected to be considerably different from the present and recent past. Industrialization growth combined with the increasing CO2 concentration in the atmosphere and massive deforestation are well above the values over the past several decades and are expected to further grow. Air temperature is rising rapidly well as does the weather variability producing frequent extreme events. Six of the ten warmest years occurred in the 1990s. Temperatures predicted for the 21st century ranges well above the present day value. The time period of the last 100-200 years covered by the direct meteorological observations is too short and does not provide material to reliably assess what may happen over the next hundred(s) years. A faithful prediction of the future requires understanding how climate system works, i.e. to reconstruct past climate much further in the past. Borehole paleoclimatology enables climate reconstruction of the past several millennia, unlike proxy methods provides direct past temperature assessment and can well broaden the areal range to the remote regions poorly covered with meteorological observations. Considerable debates have recently focused on the causes of the present-day warming, i.e. to distinguish between the natural and anthropogenic contribution to the observed temperature increase, eventually to quantify their regional distribution. Complex interpretation of borehole data with the proxies and additional socio-economic information can hopefully help. On observed data taken in various places all over the world we demonstrate suitable examples of the interaction between the subsurface temperature response to time changes in vegetation cover, land-use (farming) and urbanization. Precise temperature-time monitoring in shallow subsurface can further provide the magnitude of the present-day warming within relatively short time intervals. As far as we know, there exists so far no book dealing entirely with the subject of the Borehole climatology. Only relatively rarely this method is mentioned in otherwise plentiful literature on climate reconstruction or on climate modelling. There are, however, series of papers focussing on various borehole--climate related studies in numerous journals (e.g. Global and Planetary Change, Climate Change, Tectonophysics, Journal of Geophysical Research, Geophysical Research Letters, etc). Time to time a special issue appears to summarize papers on this topic presented during specialized symposia.Key Features- Description of a new useful alternative paleoclimate reconstruction method- A suitable source of information for those wishing to learn more about climate change- Material for lecturing and use in the classroom- Ample practical examples of borehole temperature inversions worldwide- Ample illustrations and reference list- Authors have a good knowledge of the problem based on more than 20 years of experience, one of them actually pioneered the method

Ecosystem Engineers

1st Edition
Volume 4
July 24, 2007
Kim Cuddington + 3 more
English
Hardback
9 7 8 0 1 2 3 7 3 8 5 7 8
eBook
9 7 8 0 0 8 0 5 4 8 4 7 0

The first book entirely devoted to this topic, Ecosystem Engineers begins with the history of the concept, presenting opposing definitions of ecosystem engineeing. These varied definitions advance the debate and move past trivial difficulties to crystallize key issues such as the value of process-based vs. outcome-based. Authors include case studies spanning a wide spectrum of species and habitats, including above and below-ground, aquatic and terrestrial, and extant and paleontological examples. These studies enable readers to understand how the categorization of species as ecosystem engineers allows scientists to forge new explanatory generalizations. Key for all ecologists and environmentalists, this book ultimately illustrates how to inform and manage natural resources.

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