The Rx for Relief from Equipment Failure
A predictive maintenance program was developed for a treatment plant with a large number of pieces of critical mechanical equipment. Using an inexpensive, portable vibration meter, data...
Verification of a Supply Reliability Model
Three versions of an analytical model for estimating the reliability of a water supply system including capacity components and small amounts of finished water storage are presented. Simplifying...
Modeling Reliability in Water Distribution Network Design
The component failures in a water distribution system include pipe breaks, pump failures, valve failures, storage malfunctions, etc. The reliability of these components has an effect upon...
Guidelines for Maintenance of Aging Water Pipes
Break failure patterns are investigated by applying a new methodology based on Proportional hazards and Poisson-type models. Application on two water distribution systems of North-Eastern...
Reviewing for Potential Failure
The key to preventing structural failures is to examines them and develop systematic techniques for avoidance. One, called contingency analysis, starts with a what if process to decide...
Guide to Investigation of Structural Failures
Prepared by the Research Council on Performance of Structures of ASCE. This report contains guidelines for conducting an investigation into the causes...
Reliability Constraint on Optimum Design
The purpose of the paper is to emphasize the importance of the probability concern on optimum design work. The probability of failure of the structure can be considered as one of the optimum...
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Use of Risk Analysis
The United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) has been using risk analysis techniques in assessments for management decisions. Before presenting USBR practice and experience, the paper...
Avoiding Cracks in Brickwork
Many aspects of movement and differential movement have been discussed. However, other movements and effects of movement that have not been discussed may also affect the performance of...
Intrinsic Models for Interactive Structural Design
This paper introduces a 'generic' model for interactive design of constructed facilities. The proposed methodology takes real world conditions, in terms of load...
Expert System for Risk Assessment of Concrete Dams
An expert system is presented that will assist a field inspector, during the site investigation of an existing concrete dam, to perform a preliminary structural risk assessment of the...
Pattern Recognition Techniques for Distinguishing Structural Failure Modes from High Pressure Loading Records
Pattern recognition techniques have been successfully employed in a wide variety of fields, such as geophysical exploration, medical diagnosis, radar tracking, and earthquake structural...
Facing Failures: Alleged or Actual
Every practitioner, in a large or small office, faces the possibility of an accusation of causing, directly or indirectly, a failure. The resulting embarrassment, frustration, regret,...
Failures: Who Did It - How Did It Happen?
The forensic engineer investigates the cause of failures and determines, from an engineering viewpoint, who was responsible for that failure. These failures need not be catastrophic but...
How Do I Find the Information I Needed Yesterday?
One reason that the professional has not been more effective in learning from failures is that the information disseminated has not always reached the right people. The Architecture and...
Avoiding Failures Caused by Lack of Management
Engineering failure often results from administrative or managerial failure. In addition to providing sound engineering or technical services, we have a responsibility to administer and...
Practice of Risk Analysis in the Private Sector
Although risk-analysis is currently gaining acceptance in the decision process among engineers involved in public safety of water resources projects, the 'state-of-the-art'...
Advances in Analysis of Structural Masonry
The papers in this book were presented at the technical session, Advances in Analysis of Structural Masonry, at the ASCE Structures Congress '86 held in New Orleans, LA, on...
Modeling Human Error in Structural Design and Construction
Human error is recognized as the major cause of structural failure. Moreover, it may greatly exacerbate the damaging effect of other hazards, such as earthquakes. The objectives of this...
Shopping for a New Bridge Coat
Total shop coating of new steel bridges appears to be the best armor against corrosion. This alternative is one of three techniques for diminishing the difficulty and expense of painting...
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