Structural design sensitivity analysis concerns the relationship between design variables available to the design engineer and structural responses determined by the laws of mechanics. The dependence of response measures such as displacement, stress, strain, natural frequency, buckling load, acoustic response, frequency response, noise-vibration-harshness (NVH), thermo-elastic response, and fatigue life on the material property, sizing, component shape, and configuration design variables is defined through the governing equations of structural mechanics. In this 2-volume set, first- and second- order design sensitivity analyses are presented for static and dynamics responses of both linear and nonlinear elastic structural systems, including elasto-plastic and frictional contact problems.

Book 2 covers design sensitivity analysis of nonlinear structural systems using continuum design sensitivity analysis methods. It also discusses practical design tools and applications; sizing and shape design parameterization, design velocity field computation, numerical implementation of the sensitivity for general-purpose code development, and various other practical design applications.