the Academic NEST

William Bober, Chi-Tay Tsai, Oren Masory ... 472 pages - Publisher: CRC Press; 1st edition (August, 2009) ... Language: English - ISBN-10: 1420093568 - ISBN-13: 978-1420093568 ...

Numerical and Analytical Methods with MATLAB^® presents extensive coverage of the MATLAB programming language for engineers. It demonstrates how the built-in functions of MATLAB can be used to solve systems of linear equations, ODEs, roots of transcendental equations, statistical problems, optimization problems, control systems problems, and stress analysis problems. These built-in functions are essentially black boxes to students. By combining MATLAB with basic numerical and analytical techniques, the mystery of what these black boxes might contain is somewhat alleviated. This classroom-tested text first reviews the essentials involved in writing computer programs as well as fundamental aspects of MATLAB. It next explains how matrices can solve problems of linear equations, how to obtain the roots of algebraic and transcendental equations, how to evaluate integrals, and how to solve various ODEs. After exploring the features of Simulink, the book discusses curve fitting, optimization problems, and PDE problems, such as the vibrating string, unsteady heat conduction, and sound waves. The focus then shifts to the solution of engineering problems via iteration procedures, differential equations via Laplace transforms, and stress analysis problems via the finite element method. The final chapter examines control systems theory, including the design of single-input single-output (SISO) systems. Two Courses in One Textbook: The first six chapters are appropriate for a lower level course at the sophomore level. The remaining chapters are ideal for a course at the senior undergraduate or first-year graduate level. Most of the chapters contain projects that require students to write a computer program in MATLAB that produces tables, graphs, or both. Many sample MATLAB programs (scripts) in the text provide guidance on completing these projects.

The definitive guide to unsaturated soil from the world's experts on the subject: This book builds upon and substantially updates Fredlund and Rahardjo's publication, Soil Mechanics for Unsaturated Soils, the current standard in the field of unsaturated soils. It provides readers with more thorough coverage of the state of the art of unsaturated soil behavior and better reflects the manner in which practical unsaturated soil engineering problems are solved. Retaining the fundamental physics of unsaturated soil behavior presented in the earlier book, this new publication places greater emphasis on the importance of the "soil-water characteristic curve" in solving practical engineering problems, as well as the quantification of thermal and moisture boundary conditions based on the use of weather data.  

Topics covered include: * Theory to Practice of Unsaturated Soil Mechanics * Nature and Phase Properties of Unsaturated Soil * State Variables for Unsaturated Soils * Measurement and Estimation of State Variables * Soil-Water Characteristic Curves for Unsaturated Soils * Ground Surface Moisture Flux Boundary Conditions * Theory of Water Flow through Unsaturated Soils * Solving Saturated/Unsaturated Water Flow Problems * Air Flow through Unsaturated Soils * Heat Flow Analysis for Unsaturated Soils * Shear Strength of Unsaturated Soils * Shear Strength Applications in Plastic and Limit Equilibrium * Stress-Deformation Analysis for Unsaturated Soils * Solving Stress-Deformation Problems with Unsaturated Soils * Compressibility and Pore Pressure Parameters * Consolidation and Swelling Processes in Unsaturated Soils.

Unsaturated Soil Mechanics in Engineering Practice is essential reading for geotechnical engineers, civil engineers, and undergraduate- and graduate-level civil engineering students with a focus on soil mechanics.