Preface

The papers are ordered alphabetically according to first author.The first paper by Borujeni, Maijer and Rajapakse is a numerical investigation of the effects of strain rate and boundary conditions on the overall mechanical response and nucleation/evolution of transformation bands in shape memory alloys.In the next paper, elastodynamic reciprocity relations are developed by Karunasena for wave scattering by flaws, when guided waves are allowed to propagate in fiber-reinforced composite plates.The next two papers are in the area of numerical simulations.Liu, Swaddiwudhipong and Pei discuss numerical simulations of micro and nano indentation tests, while Madurapperuma and Puswewala report on their work on finite element modeling of soil creep.In the next paper Selvadurai, Scarpas and Kringos examine the problem of contact between an isotropic elastic halfspace and a rigid circular indentor, where contact is achieved through a set of Winkler ligaments.The next two papers are in the area of dynamics.The dynamic response of multiple flexible strip foundations resting on a multilayered poroelastic half-plane is considered by Senjuntichai and Kaewjuea while Takemiya uses the thin-layer method to determine the transient ground response due to impulse and moving loads.In the next paper Valliappan and Chee combine degradation evaluation methods, damage mechanics, and the finite element method to examine the safety of mechanical structures with age-related degradation.A study of tsunami propagation using the characteristic-based split method is reported by Wijaya, Bui and Kanok-Nukulchai.The dispersive behavior of waves propagating in a prestressed compressible elastic layer with constrained boundaries is studied by Wijeyewickrema, Ushida and Kayestha.In the last paper of the volume, Yang, Kitipornchai and Liew examine the nonlinear local bending of FGM sandwich plates.