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Introductory paragraphs: One objective of this book is to provide a subject matter area that can be used to increase the readers ability to apply statics and the mechanics of deformable solids to design problems. This chapter contains a review of some topics to insure a common level of knowledge in these areas. Some of these topics are covered in all mechanics courses and should be familiar. Other topics are more applied and may not have been included in engineering science courses. The collection of topics is numeric and provides a group of practice problems preliminary to the start of the design calculations. The chapter starts with a discussion of the simple or average stresses and illustrates how these quantities are used to obtain bolt and pin diameters and to determine the thickness of connecting plates. This is followed by a discussion of systems of axial force members and the axial force diagram. About half of the chapter is spent on items related to beam design including the calculation of section properties and the construction of shear force and bending moment diagrams.