Rational Mechanics

A State-of-the-Art Guide to the Mechanics of Asphalt Concrete
Mechanics of Asphalt systematically covers both the fundamentals and most recent developments in applying rational mechanics, microstructure characterization methods, and numerical tools to understand the behavior of asphalt concrete (AC). The book describes the essential mathematics, mechanics, and numerical techniques required for comprehending advanced modeling and simulation of asphalt materials and asphalt pavements. Filled with detailed illustrations, this authoritative volume provides rational mechanisms to guide the development of best practices in mix design, construction methods, and performance evaluation of asphalt concrete.

The leitmotif of these essays is a critique of overextensions of the epithet "Newtonian":
"It is [not] the primitive mechanics of Newton … that we are taught as the most successful, the most thoroughly proved and understood, and the most perfect of the sciences of nature–-the prototype and paradigm of a mathematical theory from physical phenomena.

This book deploys the mathematical axioms of modern rational mechanics to understand minds as mechanical systems that exhibit actual, not metaphorical, forces, inertia, and motion.