This MiniSymposium will provide a forum for presenting and discussing innovative techniques for modeling and understanding the behavior of functionall y graded materials (FGM) and structures.  Due to the multidisciplinary nature of the field, a broad set of materials (e.g. metals, ceramics, polymers, semiconductors, and natural or synthetic composites) are considered.

Contributions are being solicited in the following areas:

• Computer aided design of FGM
• Technology transfer and industrial applications
• Finite and boundary element methods
• Integral equation methods
• Optimization
• Inverse problems
• Testing
• Residual stresses
• Fracture mechanics of FGM
• Elasticity, plasticity, viscoplasticity, creep
• Multi-scale modeling
• Physical / geometrical / mechanical properties

Submission Instructions:

If you are interested in contributing to this Symposium, please submit a one-page abstract of up to 400 words by e-mail to the organizer listed below on or before DECEMBER 15, 1998.  Notification of acceptance will be given by e-mail to the corresponding author by JANUARY 15, 1999.  If the abstract is co-authored, it must identify the e-mail of the corresponding author and the presenting author.

Abstracts may be submitted in one of three forms:  (1) plain text, (2) TeX source compatible with the Plain TeX format, or (3) Word 6.0/7.0 document in Rich Text Format (RTF).
Please do not include figures or graphics.
Avoid equations in title or text.  Greek letters are acceptable if the abstract is submitted in TeX or Word.  For examples of forms (1) and (2) click links in
h ttp://civil.colorado.edu/usnccm99/Abstracts.d/Instructions.html.

A final version of the Abstract, for inclusion in the printed book of Abstracts, may be submitted before May 15, 1999.  This final form is to be sent directly to the Congress e-mail address following the instructions posted on the Web Site.

MiniSymposium Organizer Address:

Professor Glaucio H. Paulino

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California

Davis, CA 95616-5294, USA

Phone: (530)754-9248      FAX: (530)752-7872

E-mail: ghpaulino@ucdavis.edu

Congress Program and Registration Information Posted at:

http://civil.colorado.edu/usnccm99< /a>