The JUT AMlIACM Symposium on Discretization Methods in Structural Mechanics was nd th held in Vienna, Austria, from 2 to 6 June 1997. The site of the Symposium was the "Theatersaal" of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. The Symposium was attended by 71 persons from 23 countries. In addition, several Austrian graduate students and research associates participated in the meeting. In the 5-day Symposium a total of 48 papers were presented. All of them were invited and accorded equal weight in the programme. The following topics were covered: • Error-controlled adaptivity of finite element methods • Large deformations and buckling, including inelastic deformations • Inelastic brittle or ductile localization, phase transition and system failure, resulting from monotonic, cyclic or impact loading • Sensitivity analysis and inverse problems with special emphasis on identification of material parameters • Development of linear and nonlinear finite element methods for thin-walled structures and composites • Implicit integration schemes for nonlinear dynamics • Coupling of rigid and deformable structures; fluid-structures and acoustic-structure interaction • Competitive numerical methods (finite element methods, boundary element methods, coupling ofthese two methods) • Identification of material and structural data. Comments on details of the treatment of these topics are contained in the Concluding Remarks. The Editors would like to express their appreciation to E. Stein who has prepared these Concluding Remarks.

Inhalt
Recovery Procedures in Error Estimation and Adaptivity.- Integrated Solution- and Model-Adaptivity in Finite-Element-Analysis of Plates and Shells.- Three-Dimensional Shell Formulation and Elements for Large Deformations.- An Adaptive Finite Element Method for Large Deformation Frictional Contact Problems.- Adaptive Methods for Nonlinear FE Analysis of Thin-Walled Structures.- Efficient Discretisation Methods for the Numerical Simulation in Geomechanics.- Traversing Limit Points in Nonlinear Structural Analysis Using Efficient Iterative Equation Solvers.- Computation of Global Equilibrium Paths.- New Thin Plate and Shell Triangles with Translational Degrees of Freedom Only.- Finite Elements with Nonlinear Statics and Dynamics.- Numerical Treatment of the Dynamic Soil-Structure-Fluid Interaction of Unanchored Liquid Storage Tanks.- Control of Global Relative Error of Spatial-Temporal Discretization in Dynamic Analysis.- Nonlinear Structural Dynamic Analysis by a Discontinuous Galerkin Finite Element Method.- Seismic Response of Concrete Gravity Dams A Continuum Damage Mechanics Approach.- On Non-Linear Static and Dynamic Thin Shell Analysis.- Numerically Efficient Formulation of the Equations of Motion of Tethered Satellite Systems.- A Field Boundary Element Formulation for Axisymmetric Finite Strain Elastoplasticity.- On the Computation of Derivatives up to the Boundary and Recovery Techniques in BEM.- Parallel Computing with Free Mesh Method: Virtually Meshless FEM.- Multigrid Approach to Adaptive Analysis of B.V. Problems by the Meshless GFDM.- Hybrid-Trefftz Finite Element Formulations Based on the Fundamental Solution.- Hybrid Neural-Network/Computational Programs to the Analysis of Elastic-Plastic Structures.- Crack Detection by Elastostatic Measurements.-Recent Advances in Sensitivity Analysis for Nonlinear Structural Mechanics Problems.- Some Aspects of FEM Application for Sensitivity Analysis of Quasi-Brittle Fracture Conditions.- A Symmetric Coupled FE-BE Method for Vibrating Structures Interacting with an Acoustic Fluid.- Dynamic Inelastic Soil-Structure Interaction Using a Hybrid BEM/FEM Scheme.- Application of the Finite Element Method to the Analysis of Automobile Tires.- Automated Multiscale Fracture Analysis.- Multiscale Treatment of Inhomogeneous Materials by Finite Elements.- Global Non-Linear Behaviour of Periodic Composite Materials.- Discretization Concepts for Solid Solid Phase Transforming Materials.- Strategies for the Finite Element Analysis of Nonlinear Composite Structures.- Composite Beam Dynamics Under Conditions of Inelastic Interface Slip.- Finite Element Analysis of Delamination Growth.- Numerical Solution of Problems of Cyclic Plasticity.- Performance of Enhanced Low-Order Elements for Plastic Continua.- Mesh Alignment Strategy for Localisation Problems.- Finite Strain Elastoplasticity with Finite Elements Applied to Industrial Forming-Modelling and Discretization Problems.- Numerical Simulation of Inelastic Structural Crack-Damage.- Aspects of Large-Strain Thermoplastic Analysis of Shell-Like Structures.- Finite Element Models of Multifactoral Physico Mechanical Problems.- Concluding Remarks.