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© 2011 by Taylor and Francis Group, LLC
4
Fundamentals of Structures
and Analysis of Beams
4.1 Fundamentals of Structures
4.1.1 Introduction
For the purposes of this book, structures can be divided into four groups.
The rst is the simplest structure, which is the one-dimensional beam
discussed in this chapter. The second is the two-dimensional plate, the
details of which are discussed in Chapter 5. The third is the three-di-
mensional shell, the cylindrical version of which is studied thoroughly in
Chapter 7. Chapter 6 considers built-up shells, which are constructed of a
series of plates; many complicated shell problem ...