Composite materials have been used more and more during the last decade to lighten structures. But until now, there has been no clear way of establishing how to design properly optimised laminated composite plates with no reduction in strength. Most modern references lack adequate information for the designer wanting to tailor or synthesise a design. This exciting package offers a solution. It relates the theory of composite materials to real life and provides 'rules' for designing composites structures properly and in an optimum way.In the book, Professor Miravete demonstrates the optimisation of beams, plates and sandwich constructions in the designs of advanced composite materials. He also illustrates optimal material systems, fibre orientations and lay-up through functions of geometry, load type and boundary conditions. The associates software, on two disks, will enableusers to adapt the information to their own requirements and is very user-friendly with helpful manuals. This will be an essential package for designers and engineers in a wide range of areas, from aeronautics to automotive andmarine as well as general industry.Chapter 1 provides a general background on composite materials.Chapters 2, 3, 4, and 5 are concerned with constant thickness composite structures, and provide a survey of various design methodologies of shells, plates and sandwich constructions.Chapters 6, 7, 8 and 9 examine variable thickness composite structures, and consider beams, plates and sandwiches.