Failure analysis report: The I-35W Mississippi River bridge collapse
Given the existence of safety codes within the United States as compared with the developing world, it might be assumed that a structural failure would be a relatively rare event. However, a remarkable failure occurred within the nation's heartland, in the form of the I-35W Mississippi River bridge collapse in 2007. As noted in an editorial in the LA Times: "the collapse of an interstate highway bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis took everyone, including engineers, by surprise. We do not expect our bridges to drop out from beneath us, and their designers take great pains to ensure that they do not" (Petroski 2007). The bridge was well-traveled every day and no previous reservations had been noted regarding its structural soundless. The sudden and catastrophic nature of the collapse was completely unexpected and unanticipated.
The usual method of failure prevention is to anticipate failure, which, in the case of a bridge, is likely to be a steel member becoming unable to carry its load. "The intended load on a bridge consists of two distinct parts. The so-called dead load is the weight of the steel and concrete that makes up the structure itself. This can be on the order of 80% or more of the total weight that a bridge is expected to bear" (Petroski 2007). This weight includes traffic, ice, snow, wind, earthquakes, and the pressure that can incur from other natural disasters. "The size and configuration of structural elements, like beams and girders, are chosen to give the bridge more strength than it needs under a worst-case scenario, a concept known as a 'factor of safety'" (Petroski 2007).
Bridges with a cantilever design had failed in the past, including 1967 collapse of the 41-year-old Silver Bridge across the Ohio River, which could have potentially suggested problems with this type of bridge in hindsight. However no bridge design is fail-safe (Petroski 2007). "No matter how carefully bridge designers anticipate failure on the drawing board (or computer screen), their structures will only...
Obvious concerns, such as when a firefighter entering a high-rise building loses communications with his team because tall buildings are not conducive to radio wave transmission and therefore do not allow firefighters' radios to work properly has not been addressed during the recent trend of building higher and higher. Even something as simple as an external fire on a high-rise cannot be defended with the conventional firefighting techniques used throughout
Modeling Fire Behavior for Prevention and MitigationToday, a wide array of sophisticated computer-based algorithms provide fire investigators, fire protection engineers and risk management professionals with the ability to model fire behaviors that can help prevent fires in the first place and mitigate the human casualties and property damage they cause in the event that prevention fails. To learn more about these valuable technological resources, the purpose of this paper is
Introduction Sustainability, a word most often discussed, yet least understood is a topic of interest in today’s growing society. With various interpretations offered, some treat sustainability in a superficial way. However, for many businesses, nations, and individuals that believe in the future sustainability has to offer, the word is a serious one aimed at promoting efficient use of resources, a chance at stable economic growth, and continued social progress. In modern
(Prins, Fire-Raising) The increase in juvenile crime related arson is particularly troubling. One theory suggest that undiagnosed and untreated conduct disorder in early childhood may be the progenitors in the creation of an arsonist: From a diagnostic perspective, firesetting is a strong predictor of the continuation of conduct disorder and, in field trials, was found to be the fourth most discriminating behavior for this diagnosis among 14 diagnostic criteria, according to
Brain Injury and DamageIntroductionBrain damage can present itself during the postnatal stage, perinatal, or even the prenatal stage. The prenatal phase arises before birth, and brain damage during this stage harms the brain's development in several ways. It alters cell maturation, proliferation, or migration leading to a future brain malfunction. The perinatal phase entails the phase at the time of birth, while postnatal is the period after (Wilson, 2013).This paper
Security at workplaces is not only the responsibility of the management, but all the parties in the premises. Therefore, it is important that everyone is involved one way or another in maintenance of security. In a company the size of Walter Widget, with 240 personnel, it can be challenging to maintain high security standards. With the increasing nationwide crime against workplaces and businesses, the stakes in workplace security are high. Walter
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now