Computational Mechanics
Air pollution XIX; proceedings.
This collection of forty-two peer reviewed papers, originally presented at the nineteenth International Conference on Modeling, Monitoring and Management of Air Pollution held in Malta in September 2011, showcases current scholarship in the field and provides researchers and professionals with access to contemporary research on a wide variety of air pollution topics. The volume is divided into sections covering air pollution modeling, monitoring and measurement; air quality management; aerosols and particles; emissions studies; economics; and public health. Individual papers address such topics as urban planning and air quality, GIS for pollution data management, evaluation of historical trends in air pollution, the effects of biodiesel on emissions, and environmental tools for atmospheric protection. Chapters include abstracts, illustrations and tables and are individually notated and referenced. The contributors are academics in physics, environmental sciences and industrial policy from universities around the world. The US office of WIT Press is Computational Mechanics. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Earthquake resistant engineering structures VIII; proceedings.
Drawn from papers delivered at the Eighth World Conference on Earthquake Resistant Engineering Structures organized by the Wessex Institute of Technology, UK, this collection of twenty-five articles showcases current scholarship and emerging industry practices in design for seismic resistance. The works are divided into sections covering effects and assessments of the 2009 Abruzzo earthquake, seismic isolation and energy dissipation, ground motion, soil structure interaction and structural performance and individual papers address topics such as site effects analysis, evaluating steel reinforced beam-column joints, nonlinear vibrations of piles, nuclear power plant seismic evaluations and masonry block construction in the third world. Chapters provide abstracts, illustrations, tables and figures. Contributors include engineers and academics from a variety of international institutions. The US office of WIT Press is Computational Mechanics. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Ecodynamics; the Prigogine legacy.
Ecodynamics looks at ecosystems in terms of evolutionary thermodynamics, and its primary organ is now the International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics. The 30 articles compiled here appeared in limited editions before that journal began, and are presented as important contributions to the field. Much of the science is influenced by Illya A. Prigogine (1917-2003), Nobel Laureate for chemistry in 1977; the first paper is a digest of his autobiography. Other topics include a non-thermodynamic constraint to trophic transfer efficiency based on network utility analysis, the character of earth history, social patterns and organization in urban systems, the mathematics behind the ecological footprint, and extreme events in nature as a challenge to the understanding of complex dynamics. Only the authors are indexed. The US office of WIT Press is Computational Mechanics. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
High-level radioactive waste (HLW) disposal; a global challenge.
Pusch (Luleå Technical U., Sweden), R. Yong (North Saanich, Canada), and M. Nakano (U. of Tokyo) grapple with challenges of storing highly radioactive waste, focusing on the most common approach of isolating it within multiple artificial barriers then burying it in rock. After introducing the underlying concepts and processes, they discuss the geological basis, engineered barriers, the performance of barriers, the long-term performance of engineered barriers, repository concepts for the waste, alternative concepts, and risk assessment and challenges. They point out that the future of the nuclear power business depends highly on finding a safe way to deal with the hazardous waste it produces. Unusual for WIT Press, no index is provided. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Safety and security engineering IV; proceedings.
The 44 papers in this collection originally were presented during the Fourth International Conference on Safety & Security Engineering (SAFE11) held in 2011. General topics include infrastructure protection; risk analysis, assessment, and management; public safety and security, transportation and road safety, construction safety and security, modeling and experiments, user safety in road evacuations, emergency and disaster management, process safety and security, and emerging issues. Editors are Guarascio and Garzia (U. of Rome, Italy), Reniers (U. of Antwerp, Belgium), and Brebbia (Wessex Institute of Technology, UK). The US office of WIT Press is Computational Mechanics. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Structural studies, repairs and maintenance of heritage architecture XII; proceedings.
The acronym for this conference, the first of which was held in 1989, is STREMAH; like its predecessors the 12th conference (2011: Tuscany, Italy) was held in a location rich with history and, of course, the need to preserve old structures. Roughly 60 contributions address historical aspects (types of architecture in various regions of the world); assessment and reuse of heritage buildings (including a literature review, and case studies); 19th- and 20th-century heritage (case studies in Italy, Egypt, Belgium); the specifics of stone masonry walls and buildings, and earth and wooden construction; materials characterization; non-destructive techniques; maintenance management; and seismic vulnerability, among other topics. The contributors are based internationally, and the two editors are affiliated as follows: C.A. Brebbia (Wesex Institute of Technology, UK) and L. Binda (Politecnico di Milano, Italy). The US office of WIT Press is Computational Mechanics. Indexing is by author, but not by subject. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Surface effects and contact mechanics; computational methods and experiments; proceedings.
The biennial conference encourages international cooperation among scientists and engineers in surface engineering, with a particular emphasis on the interplay between applied physics, materials science and engineering, computational mechanics, and mechanical engineering. The 25 papers from the latest convening cover experimental and numerical tests, computer simulation, multiscale experiments and modeling, fracture fatigue and damage mechanics, surface modification, surface problems in contact mechanics, and thick and thin coatings. There is no subject index. The US office of WIT Press is Computational Mechanics. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Sustainable chemistry; proceedings.
The 22 papers in this collection were previously presented during the 1st International Conference on Sustainable Chemistry held in Antwerp, Belgium in July 2011. The papers reflect the conference's intent to provide a forum for presentation and discussion of current developments in the theoretical and practical elements of sustainable chemistry. General topics include eco-efficiency, smart processing technology for sustainability, improvement in catalysis, multifunctional materials, bio-based materials, and environmental and health issues. Editors are Reniers (U. of Antwerp) and Brebbia (Wessex Institute of Technology, UK). The US office of WIT Press is Computational Mechanics. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
