ABSTRACT
An important decision that must be made during the analysis of solids and structures is whether to perform a static analysis, a quasi-static analysis, or a dynamic analysis. In a static analysis, all variables in the problem, such as applied load and material properties, are assumed to be independent of time. Inertia is also neglected. In a quasi-static analysis, the loads and material properties can depend on time, but again inertia is ignored. Transient problems in solids and structures can be separated into two categories: wave propagation and structural dynamics. In wave-propagation problems, the frequency of the external loading is very high. In wave-propagation analyses, the time duration of the event is, in general, very small – on the order of milliseconds to microseconds. In structural dynamics, the main concern is the overall motion of the structure without regard to the high-frequency information. The chapter also discusses the transient heat conduction.
