BOOK REVIEWS
e x p l a n a t i o n is to be f o u n d .
Shell and spatial structures engineer-
ing, Proceedings of the international
symposium on shell and spatial
structures, COPPE, Federal University
of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, September
1983
Ed F. L. L. B. Came~to, A. J. Ferrante,
R. C. Bat/sta and R. Lopez Pa/anco
Pentech Press, London, 1984, 298 pp.,
£28.50
T h e stated o b j e c t i v e o f this S y m p o s i u m
was to p r o m o t e an e x c h a n g e of ideas
a n d i n f o r m a t i o n o n p r o b l e m s involving
t h e design, c o n s t r u c t i o n and s t a b i l i t y
analysis of light spatial s t r u c t u r e s . The
v o l u m e is o r g a n i z e d i n t o t w o parts:
Part 1 : c o n s t r u c t i o n of spatial struc-
t u r e s w i t h f o u r p a p e r s ; a n d Part 2:
stability a n d static analysis o f spatial
s t r u c t u r e s w i t h 13 papers. T h e overall
q u a l i t y o f t h e p r i n t i n g and illustrations
is g o o d , c o n s i d e r i n g t h a t t h e b o o k has
b e e n p r e p a r e d f r o m t y p e d , camera-
ready manuscripts.
T h e f o u r p a p e r s in Part 1 deal w i t h
t h e analysis of m e m b r a n e s t r u c t u r e s ;
t h e g e n e r a t i o n of a new s t r u c t u r a l
form t h e star b e a m ; t h e analysis,
design a n d c o n s t r u c t i o n of a space
f r a m e shell; and a s o f t w a r e package
for steel s t r u c t u r e s . E a c h p a p e r is
i n t e r e s t i n g a n d i n f o r m a t i v e , especially
to' t h o s e engaged in t h e p r a c t i c e o f
s t r u c t u r a l design.
Part 2 c o n t a i n s several p a p e r s
w h i c h would be o f p r i m a r y i n t e r e s t to
researchers, p a r t i c u l a r l y in t h e area of
s t a b i l i t y where t h i n - w a l l e d curved
b e a m s ; HP gable shells; i n f l a t a b l e s ;
c y l i n d e r s ; and f r a m e d spherical shells
are e x a m i n e d . A n a l y t i c a l , n u m e r i c a l ,
and e x p e r i m e n t a l studies are i n c l u d e d
and some of t h e p a p e r s c o n t a i n
simplified f o r m u l a e t h a t could also
be o f i n t e r e s t to designers.
The r e m a i n i n g p a p e r s in Part 2
t r e a t a v a r i e t y of s u b j e c t s i n c l u d i n g
design m e t h o d s for c a b l e - r e i n f o r c e d
m e m b r a n e s , high rise p n e u m a t i c
s t r u c t u r e s and m e t a l hypars. Also,
t h e plastic analysis o f n o n p r i s m a t i c
folded plate s t r u c t u r e s and the analysis
o f a x i s y m m e t r i c shells with local
irregulatities are treated. F o r the m o s t
p a r t , this g r o u p of papers would be of
i n t e r e s t to researchers and designers of
specialized s t r u c t u r a l f o r m s and types.
In c o n c l u s i o n , t h e v o l u m e addresses
t h e stated objectives of the s y m p o s i u m
very well. Little of the c o n t e n t is
a r e s t a t e m e n t of w e l l - k n o w n t e x t b o o k
m a t e r i a l ; r a t h e r , several p a p e r s e m b r a c e
the c u t t i n g edge of t e c h n o l o g y in the
s t r u c t u r a l e n g i n e e r i n g of shell anti
spatial s t r u c t u r e s , and the b o o k would
148 Engng Struct., 1985, Vol. 7, April
be a w o r t h while acquision for t h o s e
i n t e r e s t e d in this field.
Phillip L. Gould
Understanding structural analysis
David Brohn
Granada Technical Books, London,
UK, 1984, 282 pp., £9.95
T h o s e of us w h o are a c q u a i n t e d w i t h
David B r o h n will r e c o g n i z e m u c h o f
his i n d i v i d u a l i t y in this n e w t e x t .
T h e r e is t h e clarity o f e x p r e s s i o n
w h i c h we have c o m e to e x p e c t f r o m
h i m , t h e effective use o f easily u n d e r -
s t o o d diagrams, a creative a t t i t u d e to
the p r o b l e m s of c o m m u n i c a t i o n w h i c h
m o t i v a t e s h i m to t r y a new f o r m a t
and above all the e m p h a s i s o n t h e
importance of understanding structural
behaviour.
Many o f t h e papers w h i c h have b e e n
p r e s e n t e d in this area in r e c e n t years
have, s o m e w h a t r e g r e t a b l y , t e n d e d to
talk a b o u t q u a l i t a t i v e analysis as if it
were a separate activity a l t o g e t h e r .
This t e x t begins u n a s h a m a d l y w i t h an
initial e x p l o r a t i o n o f t h e subject area
w h i c h is p a r t l y q u a l i t a t i v e and p a r t l y
algebraic. A n d we are i m m e d i a t e l y
aware of t h e a d v a n t a g e s o f seeing t h e
s u b j e c t , in this way, as a unified entity.
F o r this is a t e x t for learners; it is
p r e s e n t e d as a resource to assist
a l e a r n e r as he strives to find o u t w h a t
s t r u c t u r a l analysis is all a b o u t , and
s h o u l d be all a b o u t . In m o s t cases it
is fully detailed and a n t i c i p a t e s m a n y
of t h e m o r e c o m m o n errors and
misunderstandings which frustrate
learners. A n d t h e g e n e r o u s provision
of carefully p r e p a r e d diagrams does
m u c h to e n h a n c e the usefulness of
the t e x t , The f o r m a t , a l t h o u g h r a t h e r
d i f f e r e n t f r o m t h a t of a s t a n d a r d text
b o o k , uses familiar d i a g r a m a t i c con-
v e n t i o n s . It t h e r e f o r e p r e s e n t s the
r e a d e r with few p r o b l e m s in assimila-
tion, o n c e he has b e c o m e a c c u s t o m e d
to a l t e r n a t i n g f r e q u e n t l y b e t w e e n t e x t
and diagram.
It is w r i t t e n for t h o s e w h o are
s t u d y i n g the subject for the first time;
for that r e a s o n it is i n e v i t a b l y less
suitable as a r e f e r e n c e text. Each
c h a p t e r flows f r o m b e g i n n i n g to end
in a c o n t i n u o u s e x p l a n a t i o n . T h e r e
are few overall summaries, and no
p u n c t u a t i o n in the form o f main
headings. The e x p l a n a t i o n s , because
t h e y are full, are less suited to revision
t h a n they are to initial studies. And
the i m p o r t a n t a s s e r t a t i o n s which are
m a d e al a n u m b e r o f p o i n t s in the text
are nol always explained, or cross-
referenced to the sections where an
T h e r e is some i n c o n s i s t e n c y b e t w e e n
t h e d e s c r i p t i o n s of the target reader-
ship and t h e c o n t e n t of C h a p t e r 1,
where the decisions with regard to
e x p l a i n i n g f u n d a m e n t a l c o n c e p t s or
taking t h e m for g r a n t e d a p p e a r to be
s o m e w h a t arbitrary. Some readers
(and t h e i r t e a c h e r s ) will be p e r t u r b e d
b y t h e d e s c r i p t i o n of m o m e n t s as
forces, just as t h e y will n o t i m m e d i -
ately i d e n t i f y r e a c t i o n s as i n t e r n a l
forces especially w h e n the term is
n o t explained.
T h e r e is a p r e d i c t a b l y m o n o t o n o u s
p a t t e r n in the style o f tile w r i t t e n
passages w h i c h is u n l i k e l y to b o t h e r
a new learner, because he will n o t read
t h r o u g h the e n t i r e b o o k in a s h o r t
p e r i o d of time, as y o u r reviewer did.
But some o f the v a r i a t i o n s in the text
introduce confusion, rather than
v a r i e t y ; t h e r e seems little p o i n t in
referring to virtual d i s p l a c e m e n t s ,
d e f o r m a t i o n s and d e f l e c t i o n s in o n e
page, w h e n e a c h p h r a s e a p p a r e n t l y
m e a n s the same -- but w h e n an earnest
reader m i g h t feel justified in seeking
an u n d e r s t a n d i n g of the s u b t l e distinc-
tion which he p r e s u m e s the writer is
making.
If this is a t e x t for learners, t h e n
the style of assistance given in the
e x p l a n a t o r y c h a p t e r s should c o n t i n u e
over into the w o r k e d s o l u t i o n s to the
p r a c t i c e p r o b l e m s . Here, h o w e v e r ,
t h e r e is an u n f o r t u n a t e discrepancy.
A learner is given q u a n t i t a t i v e com-
p u t e r o u t p u t s for p r o b l e m s which he
was e n c o u r a g e d to solve q u a h t a t i v e l y -
and these do n o t always follow the
d r a f t i n g style which he was e n c o u r a g e d
to use in tire following i n s t r u c t i o n . It
m i g h t have been b e t t e r to give the
s u p p l e m e n t a r y i n f o r m a t i o n t w h i c h is
a d m i t t e d l y i n t e r e s t i n g it n o t valuable)
in a separate a p p e n d i x .
Overall, I had t w o i m p o r t a n t reserva-
tions a b o u t this new t e x t b o o k . The
first was t h e relatively s p e e d y coverage
which it gave to a n u m b e r o f topics
w h i c h have always seemed to i n t r o d u c e
difficulties for u n d e r g r a d u a t e s . I have
in m i n d t h e c o n c e p t o f a couple, the
n a t u r e o f a hinge, the idea that the
slope o f a b e n d i n g m o m e n t diagraln
will be the same on b o t h sides of
a hinge, the n a t u r e of a rigid c o r n e r in
a frame, the reason w h y the b e n d i n g
m o m e n t transfers a r o u n d it and the
whole c o n c e p t of t h e free body
diagram. At a later stage in the text
I was also slruck by the s o m e w h a t
simplistic way in which the learner was
i n t r o d u c e d to virtual work. and by the
disregard o f the valid q u e s t i o n s which
m a n y o f l e n ask a b o u t the derivation
of the two t h e o r e m s .
I was also acutely aware of t h e
a b s t r a c t n a t u r e of the entire p r e s e n t a -
tion o f the topic. F r o m tire very first
page, this book is concerned with
schematic representations of structures.
It seems a pity, to put it mildly, that
the man who has done so much to
persuade teachers and students of the
need to understand the behaviour of
real structures should devote his text
book to the understanding of dia-
gramatic models of structures.
Students should be encouraged to
use this text book, either for their
initial learning or - if that is not
expedient in their department - to
enrich that learning and to make good
the omissions in it.
John Cowan
Limit analysis and concrete plasticity
M. P. Nielsen
Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ,
USA, 1984, 420 pp., £40.80
The application of the concept of
plasticity to structural concrete has
a long history. Design methods were
frequently developed in isolation from
the mainstream of the theory of plas-
ticity. Pioneers, such as Ingerslev and
Johansen in Denmark, Gvozdev in the
Soviet Union and A. L. L. Baker in
Britain, developed methods of analysis
and design which incorporated the
special features of structural concrete
but generally did not demonstrate the
relationship that their methods had
with, for example, the theoretical
developments of the mathematical
theory of plasticity which flourished
later at Brown University in the United
States and at Cambridge University in
England.
Nielsen's book attempts to relate
the special developments in limit
analysis of structural concrete to the
now classical theory of plasticity and
so to facilitate the further development
of his subject on a firmer less empirical
basis.
The first chapter is devoted to
a short overview of the theory of
plasticity and this is followed by an
important chapter on yield conditions.
The third chapter is devoted to the
theory of plain concrete, whilst the
fourth is concerned with disks and is
primarily based on work done by the
author 15 years ago. The fifth chapter
is concerned with beams and it is
perhaps surprising to find that beams
in flexure receive very little attention
due presumably to the full coverage
that this topic has received elsewhere
in the technical literature. A much
fuller treatment is given of beams in
shear followed by a compact presenta-
tion of torsion and then combined
bending, shear and torsion are dis-
cussed.
The sixth chapter is a very impor-
tant one on slabs and rather naturally
gives full discussions of the yield line
method and the strip method. The
punching shear of slabs is the topic of
the seventh chapter whilst the eighth
chapter is concerned with shear in
joints. The n i n t h and last chapter is
devoted to the bond strength of rein-
forcing bars. The book concludes with
a very full list of references arranged
historically from Galileo's 'dialogue
concerning two new sciences' of 1638
up to work by the author written in
1983 and still unpublished when the
book went to press. The recent refer-
ences are overwhelmingly from Danish
sources.
The book is well-produced and con-
tains a large number of clear diagrams.
The cited material has naturally been
selected from the subject areas closest
to the work of the author. The chosen
areas are treated authoritatively but
a surprising omission is any considera-
tion of frames and this was presumably
inevitable after the very brief coverage
of beams in bending. Computational
procedures receive only passing refer-
ence.
The book is a very significant addi-
tion to the literature and makes one
even more conscious of the importance
of the Danish contributions to this
subject area. It is unlikely to be adopted
as a class text - partly because of its
cost - but it will be very valuable to
advanced students, researchers and to
many designers. It will assist in dis-
seminating a better understanding of
the behaviour of reinforced concrete
at rupture and in the more general
adoption of less empirical design
methods.
J. Munro
Engng Struct., 1985, Vol.7, April 149