Skyscraper (review)
The 1984 novel Skyscraper, by civil engineer-writer Robert Byrne, tells the suspenseful story of the collapse of a new, 66 story skyscraper...

Classification of Human Errors
Error control should be a primary part of any risk control strategy. Classification of errors may serve as a basis for the systematic analysis to eliminate the causes and to reduce the...

Concepts and Methods in Reliability-Based Structural Optimization
This paper presents an overview of the major concepts and methods used in reliability-based structural optimization. New formulations related to multicriteria optimization are developed....

Seismic Analysis of Horse Creek Dam, Hudson, Colorado
On April 8, 1981, six days after a Richter magnitude 4. 0 earthquake, inspectors from the Colorado State Engineer's Office discovered a small crack in outboard side of Horse...

Soldier Creek Dam Foundation Drainage
A possible mode of failure for Teton Dam, piping of erodible core material through unsealed foundation joints, was also concluded as being possible at Soldier Creek Dam, Utah. Evaluations...

Computer Modeling of Roof Support
The Bureau of Mines is using a full-scale geotechnical model of a 15-foot-wide (4. 6-m) coal mine entry in correlation with computer finite-element analysis at its Spokane Research Center...

An Application of Probability to Rock Slope Design
This paper describes the use of probability and statistics in the slope design process. An example is presented of a high rock slope in an open pit mine. This slope is a major concern...

A Combined Limit Equilibrium and Statistical Analysis of Wedges for Design of High Rock Slopes
This paper describes a unique technique developed for the statistical analysis of wedge failures which control the design of high slopes in relatively hard jointed rock masses. Using this...

Probability Applied to Slope Design?Case Histories
A major problem encountered with the choice of an appropriate value for the design probability. Initial experience, obtained during open-pit investigation, suggested that slope geometry...

High Strength Steel
A Wall Street Journal story in January 1984 described a number of bridges, buildings, automobiles, buses and other structures made of high-strength...

Critical Load Program
The elastic critical load of a structural frame is a fundamental parameter in assessing its stability. It is an upper bound to the failure load of the frame, in the same way that the Euler...

Detection of Leakage Through Subsurface Barriers Using Guided Acoustic Waves
The primary method for preventing hazardous liquid and leachates from entering the groundwater is the use of a physical barrier. These barriers are susceptible to a number of mechanisms...

Shrimp Farm Made Feasible
Engineers on a limited budget developed a facility on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, where Mexican blue shrimp are being raised commercially. A series of U shaped sections were laid parallel...

Modeling Failure Probability of Underground Pipes
Factors influencing the performance of underground gas pipes are identified through a literature search and contacts with several utility companies. These factors are categorized as (i),...

Solving the Two-Dimensional Diffusion Flow Model
A simplification of the two-dimensional (2-D) continuity and momentum equations is the diffusion equation. To investigate its capability, the numerical model using the diffusion approach...

Toward User-Oriented Failure Management Strategies for the Morgantown People Mover
The Morgantown People Mover (MPM) is the most sophisticated automated people movers in the United States. It is the only one that offers 'personalized' service...

An In-Plane Finite Element Model for Brick Masonry
A finite element model for brick masonry is reported. The model takes account of non linear deformations and progressive local failure. The failure may occur in the joints alone or in...

Shear Design of Masonry Walls
The paper presents a summary of a research project carried out at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich to develop a design method based on the ultimate strength of masonry...

Notes on Statistics of Failures of Constructed Works
This paper is concerned with both catastrophic and sub-catastrophic failures, which may be categorized into three types: Safety (type S), Functional (type F), and Ancillary (type A). Often...

Failure Statistics Categorized by Cause and Generic Class
Failures can be classified into the three categories, ie. , SAFETY, FUNCTIONAL, and ANCILLARY. Within the causation definition, failures fall into five general areas: DESIGN DEFICIENCIES;...

 

 

 

 

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