ESM 5124: Theory of Elasticity

Instructor: Prof. Raffaella De Vita
Office: 230 Norris Hall
Phone: (540) 231-5905
E-mail: devita@vt.edu
Personal Web Page: www.esm.vt.edu/~devita
Course Web Page: www.esm.vt.edu/~devita/ESM5124.html
Meeting Time: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays; 10.10-11.00 am

Office Hours: Mondays, Wednesdays; 11.15 am -12.15 pm (or by appointment)

Meeting Place: Norris Hall 204

Course Description: The theory of elasticity continues to play an essential role in mechanical, civil, materials, and aerospace engineering applications. Indeed, many important mechanical systems, ranging from spacecrafts to trabecular bones, are studied within the context of linear elastic theory.

The Theory of Elasticity is an introductory course on the linearized theory of elasticity. After a preliminary review of tensor calculus, the following topics will be covered:
  • kinematics
  • forces and stress
  • constitutive equations
  • linearized elasticity problems
  • two-dimensional problems
  • three-dimensional problems
  • variational methods
Prerequisite: Familiarity with continuum mechanics consistent with the prerequisite, ESM 5014: Intro to Continuum Mechanics, is expected.

Homework: Homework problems will be assigned ~ every week and will be due the following week. Here is the list of weekly homework:
  • Homework 1 due by 1/24: Problems 2.1, 2.3, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 2.14
  • Homework 2 due by 1/31: Problems 2.18, 2.19 (b,h,i), 2.21(d), 2.22
  • Homework 3 due by 2/7: Problems 3.8, 3.11, 3.13, 3.14, 3.15
  • Homework 4 due by 2/16: Problems 4.4, 4.7, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.6, 5.8
  • Homework 5 due by 3/2: Problems 6.1, 6.2, 6.5, 6.7
  • Homework 6 due by 3/19: Problems 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5
  • Homework 7 due by 3/22: Problems 7.7, 7.9
  • Homework 8 due by 4/6: Problems 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.6
  • Homework 9 due by 4/18: Problems 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.4
The list will be updated as the course progresses.

Exams: There will be two in-term exams and a final exam. All the exams are open book.

Grading Policy: The final grade for the class will be determined as follows:
  • 30% Homework Assignments
  • 20% In-term Exam 1 (10.10-11.00 am, 2/28/2007)
  • 20% In-term Exam 2 (10.10-11.00 am, 4/4/2007)
  • 30% Final Exam (7.45-9.45 am, 5/7/2007)
Text: Slaughter, W. S. (2002). The Linearized Theory of Elasticity. Boston: Birkhäuser.

Additional References:
Saada, A. S. (1974). Elasticity: Theory and Applications. New York: Pergamon Press.
Timoshenko, S. P. and J. N. Goodier (1970). Theory of Elasticity (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Sokolnikoff, I. S. (1956). Mathematical Theory of Elasticity (2nd ed.). Malabar, FL: Krieger Publishing Company.

Syllabus in pdf format