Saint-Petersburg State Polytechnical University
	STRUCTURAL MECHANICS AND THEORY OF ELASTICITY DEPARTMENT

In September 1968 Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Leonid Alexandrovich Rozin was elected on the post of the department head. He graduated from Leningrad Polytechnical Institute faculty of physics and mechanics in 1951 and worked in "Lengidroproekt" Institute (Hydro Power Plants Design company) and in the Computational Center of Leningrad State University. By the time of invitation to the hydrotechnical faculty L.A.Rozin was already known as the author of the differential equations operators disjunction method and its application to construction of pivot approximations in the theory of shells. This approach was used in "arches - consoles method" for arch dams analysis and caused increased interest of hydraulic engineers at that time.

The end of 60-s - beginning of 70-s was a phase of computer tools introduction into practice of structural analysis. A special attention was attached to numerical methods of calculation and matrix algebra. And though the department yet did not have a single computer at its disposal, it began radical reorganization of the course of structural mechanics: instead of traditional graphostatics numerical methods and matrix apparatus were introduced.

The department new head's prevision of new method - finite element method (FEM) application prospects was of great importance. This method very soon turned into the most effective and universal method of various engineering problems solution. The cycle of lectures on FEM was organized for hydrotechnical students of the 5th course, but much more interest to it was revealed by employees of different design and research companies. L.A.Rozin's monography "Hydraulic Engineering Constructions Analysis Using Electric-Digital Machines. Finite Elements Method" (B.E.Vedeneyev Hydrotechnical Engineering Research Institute, publ.,1971) has become the first book on FEM in the country. His book "Fundamentals of Finite Elements Method in Theory of Elasticity" (1972, Leningrad Polytechnical Institute publ., 1972) - the first Russian manual on FEM. In 1970 in some hydrotechnical students' degree works FEM was applied for the first time. This practics lasted about two decades, and many of those students became candidates and doctors of sciences. In 1968 the first seminar on FEM in structural mechanics, organized by L.A.Rozin was held. Later it obtained the status of constantly-working All-Union seminar, and ten All-Union schools - seminars on FEM, took place under L.A.Rozin's guiding in different cities of the Soviet Union since 1973. Those schools-seminars played a very important role in FEM popularization and new engineering and scientific specialists training. L.A.Rozin's monography "Pivot systems as systems of finite elements" (1976) played a significant role in FEM introduction to the pivot systems analysis (initially this method was developed for theory of elasticity problems solution). Other L.A.Rozin's works are also devoted to the solution of most common classes of problems (pivot systems, shells, flat and spatial systems etc.) using electric-digital machines: "Finite Elements Method Application to Elastic Systems" (1977), "Variational Statements of Elastic Systems Analysis Problems" (1978), "Theorems and Methods of Deformable Systems' Statics" (1986).

At the same time the activity of other department teachers in methodical work was considerably increased. "Beams and Beam Plates on Elastic Foundation Analysis" (V.A.Smelov, 1973), "Matrix Form of Structural Mechanics Problems Solution" (I.A.Konstantinov, L.I.Kounina, V.A.Smelov, 1974), "Continuous-Solid Beams Analysis Using Chase Method" (I.Y.Kadomskaya, 1975), “Dynamics of Hydraulic Engineering Constructions" (I.A.Konstantinov, part 1, 1974 and part 2, 1976), "Displacements Method in Structural Mechanics " (V.A.Smelov, 1976) were published. In the last manual pivot systems were considered as systems of finite elements. It let students, working over one of the tasks in the course of structural mechanics, study the basics of FEM procedures, typical for theory of elasticity problems. Later, in 1983 and 1988 these manuals were generalized in two books: "Statically Determinate Systems Analysis" and "Statically Indeterminate Systems Analysis" (authors: L.A.Rozin, I.A.Konstantinov, V.A.Smelov).

Department methodical developments especially tackled with introducing of modern structural mechanics elements into the educational process received a high evaluation of experts in higher school. Unfortunately, at the hydrotechnical faculty they have not found understanding. In 1970-s the engineering irrigation department completely refused from theory of elasticity. In 1986 the department of water energy utilization followed this example (besides, students - irrigators and hydro power engineers never studied dynamics of structures). If the course of structural mechanics is not followed by any prolongation, and the course is reduced up to two terms for 5 hours per one week, teaching of modern structural mechanics loses any sense. In 1990/91 the course of structural mechanics for students - hydro power engineers was reduced up to a recordly low level - two terms for 4 hours per one week (it is less, than before the revolution at the electromechanical and metallurgical faculties, wich students studied structural mechanics for common purposes). Other departments also were tempted to use educational hours for special disciplines instead of theory of elasticity and dynamics of structures, although the reduction of educational time for the theory of elasticity from four up to three and even two hours per one week in one semester meant elemination of major course units, connected with plates analysis, FEM application, using of polar coordinate system and results, obtained with its help, necessary for the course of soil mechanics. Here it is appropriate to remind what was written in 1907 in the substantation of new faculties establishment in Polytechnical institute necessity: "Students of civil engineering faculty at first should be seiously trained in architecture and structural mechanics and only after it study a certain speciality".

For last 30 years dozens of hydrotechnical faculty graduates, other faculties and insitutes graduates were scientific employees, teachers, post-graduate students and trainees of the department. Nowadays only two department officers- professors I.A.Konstantinov and V.A.Smelov belong to the generation of teachers, who came to the department before 1968. In the beginning of 1970-s, when quantity of research works seriously increased, Vladimir Vasilyevich Kuroedov (graduated from hydrotechnical faculty in 1970), Vladislav Alexeyevich Rukavishnikov (graduated from hydrotechnical faculty in 1961), Valeriy Petrovich Boldychev (graduated from hydrotechnical faculty in 1971), Galina Sergeyevna Kolosova (graduated from hydrotechnical faculty in 1972) and Boris Mikhaylovich Yevdokimov (graduated from hydrotechnical faculty in 1975) became the officers of the department. All of them have defended candidate thesises and nowadays, excluding V.P.Boldychev, continue to work at the department as assistant professors. In the same period Candidate of Sciences Irina Yevgenyevna Kadomskaya (1931-1988), (graduated from hydrotechnical faculty in 1955, worked in "Lengigroproekt" Institute) joined to the teaching staff of the department. In 1980-s weak training of hydrotechnical students in mathematics made to give the preference to the faculty of physics and mechanics graduates. Vladimir Vladimirovich Lalin (he defended candidate and doctoral thesises, became a professor and in 1998 became the head of the department instead of L.A.Rozin), Feodor Nikolayevich Nikitin, Olga Viktorovna Kuzmina, Natalya Vyacheslavovna Chernyshova, Alexander Yevgenyevich Babskiy became the members of the department staff. The graduate of hydrotechnical faculty (1970) Nikolay Ivanovich Davydov received the second higher education at Leningrad State University faculty of mathematics and mechanics and later developed a thesis for a degree of candidate of sciences in physics and mathematics.

Among the post-graduate students who have successfully defended candidate thesises at the department were Makhan Kalani from India, S.Kokhestani from Afghanistan, A.A.Stotsenko from Vladivostok (nowadays doctor of sciences, head of structural mechanics department), A.V.Bayenkhayev and V.A.Karo-Made from Alma-Ata(Kazakhstan), K.S.Galiyev and V.G.Bousygin from Barnaul, I.M.Pyrtsak and I.P.Kratchoun from Kishinev(Moldova), S.Y.Kolyaskin from Tomsk, V.N.Terpougov from Perm, V.A.Dournev and O.A.Vinokurov from Pskov and others.

At the photo (from left to right) in the back row: S.Bogatikov(post-graduate student), N.I.Davydov, B.A.Berdeshev(post-graduate student),V.P.Boldychev, B.M.Yevdokimov, V.V.lalin, A.V.Vovkoushevskiy, O.V.Kuzmina, F.N.Nikitin, A.Y.Babskiy, in the front row: J.Mabika(post-graduate student),V.V.Kuroedov, T.A.Polyakova(department secretary), I.Y.Kadomskaya, L.A.Rozin, L.I.Kounina, I.A.Konstantinov, V.A.Smelov, G.S.Kolosova. 1987.

The department has never changed its title, in spite of persevering proposals from the outside. The title to the department was given by academician Galerkin, and its preservation is a sign of accuracy to the best traditions of structural mechanics school in Polytechnical institute. The first part of the title better corresponds to the educational aspect of the department activity, and the second - to the scientific aspect. Really, from time to time educational load in the theory of elasticity was reduced up to zero, but the content of a greater part of scientific and contractual research works is constantly tackled with the theory of elasticity. The biggest part of B.G.Galerkin's and his disciples' (L.S.Gilman, S.G.Gootman, A.S.Maliyev, R.M.Rappoport, K.V.Solyanik-Krasa, G.S.Shapiro etc.), and for last three decades - L.A.Rozin's and his disciples' works are tackled with the theory of elasticity. Among L.A.Rozin's disciples it is especially necessary to mention Andrey Vsevoldovich Vovkoushevskiy (1946-1997), who prepared his degree (hydrotechnical faculty) work in 1970, and later Candidate and Doctoral thesises under the guiding of prof.L.A.Rozin and worked at the departmet in 1982-1992. His works in the field of elastic domains with unilateral joints, software for theory of elastisity problems with unilateral joints, physically non-linear problems and composite rotation shell problems solution were widely applied in various areas of engineering.

After serious salary decreasing in the beginning of 1990-s during post-communist economic reforms perspective young candidates of sciences F.N.Nikitin, O.V.Kuzmina and N.I.Davydov left the department for the work in the sphere of business, N.V.Chernyshova - for the work at the strength of materials department, and A.Y.Babskiy - for the work in the "Atomproekt" Institute (Atomic Power Stations design company).

Many of the department's officers became proficient in the art of programming and results of computerization application. Therefore the department took considerable educational load in computer science, computing mathematics and numerical methods in civil engineering. Well known expert in computerization of structures analysis professor Vladimir Isayevich Slivker, worked at the department and prepared here a doctoral thesis. The significant role in tutoring students in the department computer class belongs to V.V.Lalin, G.S.Kolosova, V.V.Kuroedov, Irina Igorevna Savchenko, later Lalina, (graduted from hydrotechnical faculty in 1978) and Mikhail Stanislavovich Smirnov (graduated from hydrotechnical faculty in 1994). M.S.Smirnov defended a Candidate thesis in 2000.

The scientific potential of the department allows it participate in solution of various engineering problems, however, the majority of its researches is traditionally tackled with hydraulic engineering. The objects of the researches were: arch, gravitational, counterfort concrete dams, soil dams under seismic loads, stators, curls and spiral chambers of units at high-head hydro power plants, self-elevating drilling platforms, sea-bed oil pipelines, wind power plants... This shows, that structural mechanics and theory of elasticity department is able to provide more wide basis to engineers' professional training on condition of proper using of the department's potential.

	Saint-Petersburg State Polytechnical University
	STRUCTURAL MECHANICS AND THEORY OF ELASTICITY DEPARTMENT