Written by a team of experts that has been working togetherfor several years in the context of
a research network involving internationalinstitutions this book brings several applications
related to smart materialsystems such as vibration and noise control structural health
monitoring energy harvesting and shape memory alloys. Furthermore this book also providesbasic
knowledge on the fundamentals of smart material systems and structures.Consequently the
present title serves as an important resource for advancedundergraduate and graduate students.
In addition it serves as a guide forengineers and scientists working with smart structures and
materials both withan application and basic research perspective.Smart material systems and
structures represent a newparadigm which is increasing the capabilities of engineering
systems.Adaptability and versatility are some important aspects related to suchsystems. In
brief research on smart materials is characterized by synergisticallycombining different
physical features such as mechanical electrical chemical and magnetic. As a result smart
material technologies have a hugepotential to enhance the performance of engineering structures
openingunlimited opportunities to innovation and economic benefits.
