1R7. Stochastic Structural Dynamics in Earthquake Engineering. Advances in Earthquake Engineering, Vol 8. - GD Manolis (Aristotle Univ, Thessaloniki, Greece) and PK Koliopoulos (Tech Inst, Serres, Greece). WIT Press, Southampton, UK. 2000. 271 pp. Diskette included. ISBN 1-85312- 851-1. $225.00.
Reviewed by YA Rossikhin (Dept of Theor Mech, Voronezh State Univ of Architec and Civil Eng, ul Kirova 3-75, Voronezh, 394018, Russia).
This book is the fine textbook for civil engineering students, since it comprises the basics of random vibrations and stochastic mechanics which are adapted to the needs of the civil engineer practicing seismic design of structures.
The book includes nine chapters followed by two appendices, a list of references, and an index. The first chapter is an introduction reviewing manifestation of stochasticity in engineering systems and classification of problems. The second chapter presents the fundamental concepts of probability theory and the statistical analysis of random variables and stochastic processes. These concepts, coupled with the principles of structural dynamics, which are described in Appendix A for students’ convenience, form the necessary mathematical background for the remaining chapters. Single-and multiple-dof systems response to random input in the linear approximation are presented in Chapters 3 and 4, respectively. The most widely used techniques for stochastic analysis of dynamic systems when nonlinear mechanisms are involved in either the excitation process or the mechanical properties of the oscillating system are discussed in Chapter 5 by the example of sdof oscillators. Chapters 6 and 7 are devoted to the problem of seismic wave propagation and its influence on structures. Chapter 8 presents numerical methods commonly used in stochastic structural dynamics (FEM and BEM). The last chapter is an introduction to very interesting and practically important field of risk analysis of structures operating in a seismic environment.
It must be noted that if vibrations are covered rather broadly, then the waves are not investigated in detail. The authors restricted themselves by analyzing the simplest case, namely, SH waves propagating along an elastic half-space, and in so doing randomness in the medium is manifested through the wave number. But it is well known that SH waves cropping out at the free surface are unstable (see works by Viktorov, Gulyaev, Bleustein, Rossikhin, etc). This means that the presence of weak stochastic heterogeneity or slight stochastic anisotropy immediately results in the transformation of the SH wave into a surface wave, ie, its amplitude begins to attenuate with depth. Since real soils involve both weak anisotropy and slight heterogeneity, then the pure SH wave coming onto the free surface cannot be obtained. The authors have not even mentioned surface waves in this book, which play an important role in the analysis of the soil-structure interaction under seismic excitation.
Stochastic Structural Dynamics in Earthquake Engineering has features intended to support its use as an advanced undergraduate text. The book is well written, with good quality figures and tables to illustrate the subject. A list of references essentially involves textbooks and monographs in the field rather than original papers, which can be attractive for students, but not for researchers. The authors provide a reasonable subject index. There are many numerical examples used to illustrate material in Chapters 2 through 9 and in Appendix A. Problems appear at the end of all chapters with the answers provided in Appendix B. The computer programs that are referred to in conjunction with the various exercises in the book are available on an attached diskette. However, the book’s high price is a significant deterrent to classroom use, especially since other texts on the topic are available. Consequently, this reviewer only recommends purchase by libraries and individuals with an interest in earthquake engineering.
