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Lloyd Hamilton Donnell was an American mechanical engineer, and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology. He was considered internationally renowned expert in engineering mechanics, specifically known for his work on shell analysis and thin-shell structure. The three subjects covered in this book, beams (particularly beams of rectangular cross section, which serve as an introduction to and special case of the other two subjects), plates and shells, each have a large literature. The book represents an introduction to these subjects with emphasis upon practical aspects such as the errors made in the various approximations commonly used and methods for getting more accurate results when this proves necessary