Customer Reviews

Mechanics of Fibrous Composites

Mechanics of Fibrous Composites

Whether you are a practicing engineer looking for a desk reference, or an instructor looking for a text to introduce high level undergraduate or graduate level engineering students to the mechanics of composite materials, Herakovich's text is an ideal choice.

From my own perspective of a practicing engineer, the book's value as a desk reference is unparalleled. Herakovich includes an extensive section on notation and terms in the preface of the book as well as providing an extensive review of the concepts of solid mechanics as well as the 3-D constitutive equations of solids in the early chapters. For the engineer who may not have worked in the mechanics of materials for sometime, these sections prevent you from having to dig out a dusty old undergraduate text to review basic concepts.

Having set the stage, Herakovich provides a detailed discussion of the mechanical properties, design, and test methods for laminated materials. The chapter on test methods should be of particular interest to instructors who want to include lab exercises in their courses.

Moreover, the exercises included within the text are a reflection of Herakovich's thirty years of practical teaching experience. The exercises are carefully crafted to stretch and focus the student's understanding of the theoretical concepts conveyed by the text. A solution guide is also available for instructors who wish to employ the text for a professional seminar or college course.

For engineers involved in the design or certification of products, the chapter on failure analysis provides a detailed discussion of the competing theories of damage mechanics and failure prediction.

Finally, the author begins each chapter with a wealth of thought provoking quotes that reveal a range of interests far beyond the boundaries of composite materials.