I would like to extend a huge thanks to the entire team at CRC Press for all of their wonderful assistance in bringing this book into being. I appreciate the valuable input and feedback on various portions of the book from my engineering colleagues and other friends: Mr. Aaron Gee; Mr. Aleksandar Djuricic; Dr. Aleksandar Jeremic; Mr. Alex Matheson; Ms. Amy Posch; Mr. Bruce Nicayenzi; Mr. Eric Velasquez; Mr. Geoff Leung; Dr. Habiba Bougherara; Dr. Jelica Zdero; Dr. Mark-John Bruwer; Dr. Shaghayegh Bagheri; and Mr. Suraj Shah. I want to also mention several fine folks who have mentored me in my engineering career: Dr. Özden F. Turan; Dr. J. Timothy Bryant; and Dr. Emil H. Schemitsch. I want to express my immense gratitude to my family and friends who support me in many ways and with whom I experience this thing called life. I especially cannot overstate the debt I owe to my dear parents Obrad and Ana Zdero (a.k.a. Обрад и Ана Ждеро) who taught me valuable lessons about character and competence. Finally, I’d like to recognize the Grand Designer who engineered the cosmos.