This text is an edited collection of 40 scientists' contributions from the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (IUTAM) Symposium on Material Instabilities in Solids, which was held in Delft in June 1997.

Introduction to Material Instabilities in Solids (E. van derGiessen & R. de Borst). Stability of Layered Geological Structures: An Asymptotic Solution(Y. Leroy & N. Triantafyllidis). Analysis of Shear Failure in Concrete Materials (K. William, etal.). On the Effects of Inertial Coupling on the Wave-Speeds ofElastic-Plastic Fluid-Saturated Porous Media (B. Loret & E.Rizzi). Microstructured Solids: Non-Linear Model and Analysis ofMagneto-Elastic Wave Processes (V. Erofeyev & S.Kovalev). Thermodynamics of Crystal Viscoplasticity and Instability Phenomena(P. Perzyna). Instability Issues in Single Crystal Plasticity (P.Steinmann). On the Use of Strain-Softening Models for the Simulation of StrongDiscontinuities in Solids (J. Oliver, et al.). Thermomechanics Based Theory and Analysis of Cracking Localizationin Concrete Dam under Earthquake Excitation (H. Horii, etal.). Localisation Patterns in Ductile and Brittle Geomaterials (J.Desrues).In-Plane Crushing of a Polymeric Honeycomb (S. Papka &S. Kyriakides). Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Size Scale Effects inConcrete Fracture (M. van Vliet & J. van Mier). Post-Peak Behaviour of Rocks and Natural Building Stones inUniaxial Compression (I. Vardoulakis, et al.). Inelastic Deformation of F.C.C. Single Crystals by Slip andTwinning (A. Staroselsky & L. Anand). Effects of Strain Paths on Sheet Metal Limit Strains (P. Wu, etal.). Three-Dimensional Analysis of Localized Necking (A.Benallal). Effects of Heterogeneities and Localization on Polymer Deformationand Recovery (M. Boyce & C. Chui). Strain Localization and Void Growth in Polymers (A. Steenbrink& E. van der Giessen). Nonaffine Network Model for Glassy Polymer and Prediction ofInstability Propagation (Y. Tomita & T. Adachi). Damage Localisation in Short Fibre Cementitious Composites (B.Karihaloo & J. Wang). Fracture Instabilities in Heterogeneous Materials: Brittleness,Size Effects and Fractality (A. Carpinteri). Compression Fracture-Mechanics of Damage Localization and SizeEffect (Z. Bazant). Nonlinear Modelling of Geomaterials and Self-Organization Phenomena(V. Nikolaevskiy). Quasi-Static and Dynamic Characteristics of Strain GradientDependent Non-Local Constitutive Models (F. Oka, et al.). Higher-Order Damage Models for the Analysis of Fracture inQuasi-Brittle Materials (M. Geers, et al.). On Gradient Regularization for Numerical Analyses in the Presenceof Damage (C. Comi & L. Driemeier). Localisation of Damage in Quasi-Brittle Materials and Influence ofChemically Activated Damage (G. Pijaudier-Cabot, et al.). Nonlocal Damage Effects on Plastic Flow Localization under DynamicLoading (V. Tvergaard & A. Needleman). Instabilities and Size Effects in Plasticity: Continuum andDislocation Approaches (H. Zbib). Macroscopic Modelling of Stationary and Propagative Instabilities(L. Sluys & W. Wang). A Discussion of Strain Gradient Plasticity Theories and Applicationto Shear Bands (N. Fleck & J. Hutchinson). A Beam Theory for Gradient Continua (H.-B. Muhlhaus & P.Hornby). Recent Progress on Gradient Theory and Applications (E.Aifantis). Index.

Modern, powerful computational methods, combined with major improvements in experimental techniques, have resulted in significant advances in the study of material instabilities. This book presents the latest research in the field of material instabilities in solid materials (soils, concrete, rocks, ceramics, metals, polymers and composites) and associated phenomena, such as strain localisation, fracture and failure in general. Collected within this volume are the cutting edge contributions from the prestigious IUTAM Symposium of 1997. A broad spectrum of materials is covered, with the emphasis on common aspects of failure, and a full range of experimental, analytical and numerical methods are addressed. In addition, the state-of-the-art, and recent advances covered in the book are summarised in the introductory chapter. No other treatise is available which is so up to date and compiled by such a broad spectrum of leading researchers. This book will find a wide appeal amongst practising engineers, researchers and students in civil, mechanical and aerospace engineering, and researchers and students in materials science.

Introduction to Material Instabilities in Solids (E. van der Giessen & R. de Borst). Stability of Layered Geological Structures: An Asymptotic Solution (Y. Leroy & N. Triantafyllidis). Analysis of Shear Failure in Concrete Materials (K. William, et al.). On the Effects of Inertial Coupling on the Wave-Speeds of Elastic-Plastic Fluid-Saturated Porous Media (B. Loret & E. Rizzi). Microstructured Solids: Non-Linear Model and Analysis of Magneto-Elastic Wave Processes (V. Erofeyev & S. Kovalev). Thermodynamics of Crystal Viscoplasticity and Instability Phenomena (P. Perzyna). Instability Issues in Single Crystal Plasticity (P. Steinmann). On the Use of Strain-Softening Models for the Simulation of Strong Discontinuities in Solids (J. Oliver, et al.). Thermomechanics Based Theory and Analysis of Cracking Localization in Concrete Dam under Earthquake Excitation (H. Horii, et al.). Localisation Patterns in Ductile and Brittle Geomaterials (J. Desrues).In-Plane Crushing of a Polymeric Honeycomb (S. Papka & S. Kyriakides). Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Size Scale Effects in Concrete Fracture (M. van Vliet & J. van Mier). Post-Peak Behaviour of Rocks and Natural Building Stones in Uniaxial Compression (I. Vardoulakis, et al.). Inelastic Deformation of F.C.C. Single Crystals by Slip and Twinning (A. Staroselsky & L. Anand). Effects of Strain Paths on Sheet Metal Limit Strains (P. Wu, et al.). Three-Dimensional Analysis of Localized Necking (A. Benallal). Effects of Heterogeneities and Localization on Polymer Deformation and Recovery (M. Boyce & C. Chui). Strain Localization and Void Growth in Polymers (A. Steenbrink & E. van der Giessen). Nonaffine Network Model for Glassy Polymer and Prediction of Instability Propagation (Y. Tomita & T. Adachi). Damage Localisation in Short Fibre Cementitious Composites (B. Karihaloo & J. Wang). Fracture Instabilities in Heterogeneous Materials: Brittleness, Size Effects and Fractality (A. Carpinteri). Compression Fracture-Mechanics of Damage Localization and Size Effect (Z. Bazant). Nonlinear Modelling of Geomaterials and Self-Organization Phenomena (V. Nikolaevskiy). Quasi-Static and Dynamic Characteristics of Strain Gradient Dependent Non-Local Constitutive Models (F. Oka, et al.). Higher-Order Damage Models for the Analysis of Fracture in Quasi-Brittle Materials (M. Geers, et al.). On Gradient Regularization for Numerical Analyses in the Presence of Damage (C. Comi & L. Driemeier). Localisation of Damage in Quasi-Brittle Materials and Influence of Chemically Activated Damage (G. Pijaudier-Cabot, et al.). Nonlocal Damage Effects on Plastic Flow Localization under Dynamic Loading (V. Tvergaard & A. Needleman). Instabilities and Size Effects in Plasticity: Continuum and Dislocation Approaches (H. Zbib). Macroscopic Modelling of Stationary and Propagative Instabilities (L. Sluys & W. Wang). A Discussion of Strain Gradient Plasticity Theories and Application to Shear Bands (N. Fleck & J. Hutchinson). A Beam Theory for Gradient Continua (H.-B. Mühlhaus & P. Hornby). Recent Progress on Gradient Theory and Applications (E. Aifantis). Index.