... of the failure is essential to ensure the safety of other bridges that have been or are currently being built. Moreover, field investigations showed that the change in the cable orientation between the bridge tower and cable end point of the suspension bridge and the insufficient capacity of the bracing...

...% of the tensile strength of the bolt. This investigation shows that the use of incompatible bolts and nuts such as in the case reported leads to the total loss of the tension capacity of holding down bolts in 3 d. anchors & anchorages failures steel structures It is clear from Figure 1...

... fitting can cause extensive water damage In other cases the pipework was not correctly supported, which put undue loads on the fittings, causing catastrophic failure. Another frequent location for failures is in welds. Again, it is tempting to blame...

... and sophisticated construction equipment, this is essential as scope for error is ever present. The nature of the construction industry is such that catastrophic failure, with the potential for multiple fatalities and other concerns, is a plausible scenario. Hence, in order for the forensic engineer to operate...

...Sebastiaan N. Jonkman; Timo Schweckendiek Failure of flood defences during extreme events can lead to enormous damage and loss of life. This paper presents lessons learned from investigations of flood events over recent years, including the 2005 flooding in New Orleans, USA, caused by hurricane...

...Robert T. Ratay, PhD, PE Structural failures can have serious and sometimes catastrophic consequences. If followed up pragmatically with deliberate effort, they can and often do result in ‘rewards’ to both the profession and society. One form of ‘rewards’ that derives from structural...

...David Arnold, MSc, PhD, FREng Air conditioning, like all mechanical systems, fails from time to time. Apart from the discomfort it causes, such failures can mean significant financial costs or losses for some of the parties involved in designing, delivering or maintaining the systems. The cost...

... in longitudinal cracks located 45° above both spring lines (Japan Tunnelling Association, 1992). Longitudinal cracks can be the opened type or the crushed type. The former implies a flexural-tensioned failure of the lining concrete, whereas the latter indicates an in-plane or out-of-plane compressive-sheared...

... profiles, an inner boundary exists where masonry blocks crack and fall when surpassing this boundary. Investigation results indicate that the uniaxial compressive failure of bricks and stones accounts for the unusual damage pattern, and the squeezing deformation of the tunnel caused by weathered...

... more than 20 partners (including authorities, builders, consultants, academics and insurers). The understanding of failure analysis has developed progressively among the community of experts and engineers. It is now important to open a new perspective by showing the value of a shared failure database...

...Sean P. Brady, BA, PhD, BAI, CPEng Learning the lessons from structural failure necessarily involves investigating the organisational and technical causes of failure, and ensuring these lessons are disseminated to the wider structural engineering profession to prevent reoccurrence. Yet despite...

... and structural failures and a study of structural incidents mentioned in a newspaper for the building industry, called Cobouw. A comparison of the results shows variations due to the type of sources used. However, general patterns have been derived from the three studies. The cause of structural failure...

...Adrian Jarvis, BA, PhD This paper traces the growth of the practice of investigating engineering failures from late medieval times to the beginning of the twentieth century. Using several case studies, it traces the desire to prevent repetitions, but also finds practical reasons for apparent...

... towers for both gravity and wind loads. It is demonstrated that, at least in this case, the damage – however serious – to a single structural element does not necessarily impact the global safety and result in immediate failure of the entire structure. Prudent timely repair can avert a disaster...

...Richard N. Hwang, PhD, CEng; Za Chieh Moh, DSc, CEng; Wei F. Lee, PhD As more and more mass rapid transit (MRT) systems are constructed in urban areas with unfavourable ground conditions, failures have frequently occurred for various reasons, and risk management becomes a key issue. A knowledge...

...Kristen Strobel, BEng; Abbie Liel, PhD, PE This study examines the physical and economic impacts of snow-related building failures occurring in the USA between autumn 2008 and spring 2011. The study employed a web-based survey distributed to owners and operators of 332 buildings. These buildings...

...Jen-Cheng Liao, PhD, CEng; San-Shyan Lin, PhD, CEng, MASCE; Sheng-Der Yang, MSc, CEng In this paper, failure of a drilled shaft stabilised slope during basement excavation of an office building in Taipei city, Taiwan, is investigated. Four and two stages of excavation along the respective east...

... engineering courses are offered in a failure analysis studio format, where investigation techniques are taught, or as part of a forensic practice lecture series where information about case studies is disseminated along with discussions on ethics and jurisprudential issues. Conventional wisdom suggests...

... structures failures strength and testing of materials Figure 2 Spalling of cover concrete on a railway station canopy caused by reinforcement corrosion Figure 3 ‘Making safe’ inspection of 1960s reinforced concrete building façade Cracks seen within the first few weeks after...

... 29 02 2012 02 05 2012 ICE Publishing: All rights reserved 2013 failures field testing & monitoring Building envelope serviceability failures can take many forms. Examples of building envelope failures include dislodgement and falling of components, such as concrete...