Why Do Things Fail?

Note: This course is open only to non-engineering majors. High school math and science are adequate for understanding of the material.

Why did the Silver Bridge between Ohio and West Virginia collapse on Christmas Eve, 1967? What caused the top of an Aloha Airlines flight to rupture, creating a convertible airplane? How do these kinds of massive structural damage occur, and how might we prevent them? This course will introduce students to topics of stress and strain and their importance in determining the safety and reliability of engineering structures. Some of the major structural failures worldwide will be identified and researched as to the circumstances leading up to the failures. Reasons for failures will be investigated and are expected to include engineering, social, political, ethical, and economic explanations. Other possible failures to be researched and analyzed would be the collapse of a walkway in Kansas City, the failure of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington, the collapse of a bridge on Interstate 95 in Connecticut, and the collapse of the Twin Towers in New York after 911. Students in the seminar will determine the exact cases to be explored. Students will frequently test materials in the laboratory to better understand different types of failure that can occur and to try to better understand what can be done to prevent these failures. Testing machines in the J. M. Patterson Building will be used for the laboratory component of the work.