Most failure or accident investigations begin at the end of the story: after the explosion, after the fire has been extinguished, or after the collapse. In many instances, information about the last event and the starting event is known reasonably well. Information about what occurred between these endpoints, however, is often unclear, confusing, and perhaps contradictory. Scientific Method: Applications in Failure Investigation and Forensic Science explains how scientific investigative methods can best be used to determine why and how a particular event occurred.

While employing examples from forensic engineering, the book uses principles and ideas applicable to most of the forensic sciences. The author examines the role of the failure investigator, describes the fundamental method for investigation, discusses the optimal way to organize evidence, and explores the four most common reasons why some investigations fail. The book provides three case studies that exemplify proper report writing, contains a special chapter profiling a criminal case by noted forensic specialist Jon J. Nordby, and offers a reading list of resources for further study.

Concise and illustrative, this volume demonstrates how the scientific method can be applied to failure investigation in ways that avoid flawed reasoning while delivering convincing reconstruction scenarios. Investigators can pinpoint where things went wrong, providing valuable information that can prevent another catastrophe.

The mechanisms by which buildings and infrastructures degrade are complex, as are the procedures and methods for inspection and for rehabilitation. This book examines the various problems caused by non-uniform deformation changes, poor durability, and natural and human disasters such as earthquakes and fire. Attention is given to the causes and mechanisms of the deterioration. General procedures and commonly used techniques for inspection and evaluation of existing infrastructures are introduced. The desk study, destructive test, and non-destructive test are discussed - in particular the newly developed non-destructive methods for deterioration monitoring. The book then moves on to conventional renovation techniques such as patch and steel plate strengthening, which meet the requirements of normal practice. Special attention is paid to compatibility between repair materials and degraded materials. Fibrous composite materials are then introduced as a basis for innovative repair techniques, and different fibre and matrix properties are outlined, as are newly developed inorganic binders as a matrix for fibrous composites. Finally, advanced rehabilitation techniques using fibrous composite are described. Fundamental issues such as bonding and failure mechanisms are then discussed in detail. Fibrous composite strengthening techniques for beam, wall, column and slabs are covered, including shear strengthening, flexural strengthening, and fillet winding, as are codes of practice for retrofitting with fibrous composites. This caters to students and academics world-wide and serves as a "tool book" for concrete and structural engineering professionals.

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• Standard Penetration Tests.
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• Cone Penetration Tests.
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• Vane Test.

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• Pressuremeter Tests.
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• Dilatometer Tests.
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If you use or need to know how to use any or all of these tests, then this is the book for you.

Fernando Schnaid takes each test in turn, showing how and when to use them. The tests are illustrated with nearly 200 figures and photographs, as well as real examples from companies including A.P. van den Berg and Fugro ltd.

Ideal for practising engineers in the fields of Geomechanics and Environmental Engineering, this book solves numerous common problems in site characterization. Also a helpful guide for students coming to the end of their engineering courses and looking to work in this sector.

Conservation of monuments and historic sites is one of the most challenging problems facing modern civilization. It involves various cultural, humanistic, social, technical, economical and administrative factors, intertwining in inextricable patterns. The complexity of the topic is such that guidelines or recommendations for intervention techniques and design approaches are difficult to set. The Technical Committee on the Preservation of Monuments and Historic Sites (named TC19) was established by the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) in 1981, is supported by the Italian Geotechnical Society (AGI), and renamed TC301 in 2010. Geotechnics and Heritage, collects relevant case histories on the role of geotechnical engineering in the preservation of monuments and historic sites, and is an addition to the Proceedings of the two International Symposia organized by the Committee in Napoli in 1994 and 2013. The contributions in the book prove the significant role geotechnical engineering plays in conservation of historic building and monuments.

This volume contains the edited versions of papers presented at the IUTAM-Symposium Topological design optimization of structures, machines and materials - status and perspectives, held at Rungstedgaard, near Copenhagen, Denmark, in October 2005. The Symposium was attended by scientists in mechanics, optics, and applied mathematics from 19 countries. It is now more than 15 years ago that the so-called homogenization method was proposed as a basis for computational means to optimize the topology and shape of continuum structures. From initially being capable mainly of treating minimum compliance design we now see the basic material distribution idea of the methodology applied to a wide range of structural and mechanical problems as well as to problems that couple structural response to other physical responses.

High strength fibre composites (FRPs) have been used with civil structures since the 1980s, mostly in the repair, strengthening and retrofitting of concrete structures. This has attracted considerable research, and the industry has expanded exponentially in the last decade. Design guidelines have been developed by professional organizations in a number of countries including USA, Japan, Europe and China, but until now designers have had no publication which provides practical guidance or accessible coverage of the fundamentals.

This book fills this void. It deals with the fundamentals of composites, and basic design principles, and provides step-by-step guidelines for design. Its main theme is the repair and retrofit of un-reinforced, reinforced and prestressed concrete structures using carbon, glass and other high strength fibre composites. In the case of beams, the focus is on their strengthening for flexure and shear or their stiffening. The main interest with columns is the improvement of their ductility; and both strengthening and ductility improvement of un-reinforced structures are covered. Methods for evaluating the strengthened structures are presented. Step by step procedures are set out, including flow charts, for the various structural components, and design examples and practice problems are used to illustrate.

As infrastructure ages worldwide, and its demolition and replacement becomes less of an option, the need for repair and retrofit of existing facilities will increase. Besides its audience of design professionals, this book suits graduate and advanced undergraduate students.

Established as a standard textbook for students of geotechnical engineering, this second edition of Geotechnical Engineering provides a solid grounding in the mechanics of soils and soil-structure interaction. Renato Lancellotta gives a clear presentation of the fundamental principles of soil mechanics and demonstrates how these principles are applied in practice to engineering problems and geotechnical design. This is supported by numerous examples with worked solutions, clear summaries and extensive further reading lists throughout the book. Thorough coverage is given to all classic soil mechanics topics such as boundary value problems and serviceability of structures and to topics which are often missed out of other books or covered more briefly including the principles of continuum mechanics, Critical State Theory and innovative techniques such as seismic methods. It is suitable for soil mechanics modules on undergraduate civil engineering courses and for use as a core text for specialist graduate geotechnical engineering students. It explores not only the basics but also several advanced aspects of soil behaviour, and outlines principles which underpin more advanced professional work therefore providing a useful reference work for practising engineers. Readers gain a good grasp of applied mechanics, testing and experimentation, and methods for observing real structures.

Established as a standard textbook for students of geotechnical engineering, this second edition of Geotechnical Engineering provides a solid grounding in the mechanics of soils and soil-structure interaction. Renato Lancellotta gives a clear presentation of the fundamental principles of soil mechanics and demonstrates how these principles are applied in practice to engineering problems and geotechnical design. This is supported by numerous examples with worked solutions, clear summaries and extensive further reading lists throughout the book. Thorough coverage is given to all classic soil mechanics topics such as boundary value problems and serviceability of structures and to topics which are often missed out of other books or covered more briefly including the principles of continuum mechanics, Critical State Theory and innovative techniques such as seismic methods. It is suitable for soil mechanics modules on undergraduate civil engineering courses and for use as a core text for specialist graduate geotechnical engineering students. It explores not only the basics but also several advanced aspects of soil behaviour, and outlines principles which underpin more advanced professional work therefore providing a useful reference work for practising engineers. Readers gain a good grasp of applied mechanics, testing and experimentation, and methods for observing real structures.

These three volumes present the proceedings of the CIB Working Commission 65 - Organization and Management of Construction Symposium. Papers were being invited from international researchers, leading industrialists and national political figures associated with the built environment, and cover organization and management issues in engineering, architecture, planning and building.

The fully revised fourth edition of this successful textbook fills a void which will arise when British designers start using the European steel code EC3 instead of the current steel code BS5950. The principal feature of the forth edition is the discussion of the behaviour of steel structures and the criteria used in design according to the British version of EC3. Thus it serves to bridge the gap which too often occurs when attention is concentrated on methods of analysis and the sizing of structural components. Because emphasis is placed on the development of an understanding of behaviour, many analytical details are either omitted in favour of more descriptive explanations, or are relegated to appendices. The many worked examples both illustrate the behaviour of steel structures and exemplify details of the design process. The Behaviour and Design of Steel Structures to EC3 is a key text for senior undergraduate and graduate students, and an essential reference tool for practising structural engineers in the UK and other countries.

The fully revised fourth edition of this successful textbook fills a void which will arise when British designers start using the European steel code EC3 instead of the current steel code BS5950. The principal feature of the forth edition is the discussion of the behaviour of steel structures and the criteria used in design according to the British version of EC3. Thus it serves to bridge the gap which too often occurs when attention is concentrated on methods of analysis and the sizing of structural components. Because emphasis is placed on the development of an understanding of behaviour, many analytical details are either omitted in favour of more descriptive explanations, or are relegated to appendices. The many worked examples both illustrate the behaviour of steel structures and exemplify details of the design process. The Behaviour and Design of Steel Structures to EC3 is a key text for senior undergraduate and graduate students, and an essential reference tool for practising structural engineers in the UK and other countries.

The Railway Research Institute (Instytut Kolejnictwa) in Warsaw was established in 1951 and was, until 2000, part of the Polish State Railways (PKP). At present, it serves as an independent entity, it is subordinated to the minister responsible for transport. Since its inception, the Institute has been the centre of competence for technology, technique and organization of operation and services in rail transport, particularly in respect to innovation. One of its fundamental tasks also includes activities connected with safety which are carried out in close cooperation with the National Safety Authority, i.e. the Office of Rail Transport. At the same time the Institute participated in the process of upgrading and modernization of the rail network in Poland. Experience in high speed rail, gained as a result of international cooperation and basing on the effort to increase speed on railway lines in Poland (so far 200 km/h), is included in the monograph "Koleje Duzych Predkosci w Polsce" (High Speed Rail in Poland) published in 2015 for the benefit of the Polish reader. This monograph aims at reaching an international audience of experts so as to present Polish determinants of HSR implementation. In order to elaborate this monograph, apart from specialists from the Railway Research Institute, experts from other research and academic centres were invited. Not only presenting a wide range of problems connected with future construction of High Speed Lines in Polish conditions, but also a number of operational ones. The authors have created a reference work of universal character, solving problems in order to build and operate high speed rail systems in countries on a similar level of development as Poland. Features: providing requirements for design and upgrade of engineering works on High Speed Rail development information on restructuring and building railway lines for countries starting to develop a High Speed Rail system dealing with organizational, engineering, socioeconomic and economic demands for transport services and the formation of human resources for constructing and operting a High Speed Rails system. Presenting these problems on the international arena will facilitate future cooperation and application of world experience to create HSR in Poland and integrate the Polish HSR network into the international one.

This volume consists of papers presented at the International Workshop on Concrete Shear in Earthquake, held at the University of Houston, Texas, USA, 13-16 January 1991.

The interaction between engineering and the law is undergoing dramatic changes. Product liability, laws have been introduced in Japan, patent claims over living organisms have been made in bioengineering and the differing national laws of copyright protection and liability are in the process of harmonisation, especially in the European Union. The pace and complexity of these changes make it essential for technologists, lawyers, engineers and insurance experts to establish a common basis for understanding, co-operation and exchange of expertise. The recently founded International Society for Technology, Law and Insurance aims to foster such co-operation. This volume features 46 selected contributions which address various topical issues and the law. The most important issues relate to engineering risks, quality assurance and assessment and legal implications assiciated with them. Recent failure cases are explained and the technical, legal and insurance-related issues discussed in detail.

Aircraft Structures for Engineering Students, Seventh Edition, is the leading self-contained aircraft structures course text suitable for one or more semesters. It covers all fundamental subjects, including elasticity, structural analysis, airworthiness and aeroelasticity. Now in its seventh edition, the author has continued to expand the book's coverage of analysis and design of composite materials for use in aircraft and has added more real-world and design-based examples, along with new end-of-chapter problems of varying complexity.

Many high-rise buildings have been constructed in recent decades, particularly in Western Pacific Rim countries. Some examples of these include the Grand Gateway at Xi Hui and the Tomorrow Square, both in Shanghai, the Xiamen Post and Telecommunication Building in China, the Petronas (twin) Towers in Malaysia and the Shanghai World Financial Center. The last three are well over 1,000 feet in height, with the Petronas Towers measuring 1,483 feet tall and the Shanghai World Financial Center standing at 1,509 feet tall.
While these certainly represent the ultimate challenges in the structural aspects of buildings, challenges remain in the structural aspects of buildings at various height. This volume is a comprehensive treatment of the issues and the advanced techniques involved in building and bridge structures. Numerous illustrative examples of the techniques involved are included.

Current books on project finance tend to be non-technical and are either procedural or rely heavily on case studies. In contrast, this textbook provides a more analytical perspective, without a loss of pragmatism.

Principles of Project and Infrastructure Finance is written for senior undergraduates, graduate students and practitioners who wish to know how major projects, such as residential and infrastructural developments, are financed. The approach is intuitive, yet rigorous, making the book highly readable. Case studies are used to illustrate integration as well as to underscore the pragmatic slant.

Current books on project finance tend to be non-technical and are either procedural or rely heavily on case studies. In contrast, this textbook provides a more analytical perspective, without a loss of pragmatism.

Principles of Project and Infrastructure Finance is written for senior undergraduates, graduate students and practitioners who wish to know how major projects, such as residential and infrastructural developments, are financed. The approach is intuitive, yet rigorous, making the book highly readable. Case studies are used to illustrate integration as well as to underscore the pragmatic slant.

Geologic hazards pose the greatest threat to human safety for any geotechnical undertaking, but it is ultimately the engineer's ability to recognize and cope with these hazards that will determine the safety of life and property. Armed with Geologic Hazards: A Field Guide for Geotechnical Engineers you will be able to properly recognize, understand various geologic hazards, and provide safe and economical construction. Eminent expert Roy E. Hunt thoroughly examines the potential for slope failures, earthquakes, ground subsidence, collapse, and expansion. Using a clear conceptual approach, he explains what measures are available to minimize or eliminate the risks associated with each of these geologic hazards.

The book sets forth the basis for recognizing, understanding, and treating geologic hazards, using general concepts rather than rigorous mathematical analyses. The author covers the prediction of slope failures through recognition of geologic and other factors that govern failure, the treatment of slopes that are potentially unstable and pose a danger to some existing development, the design and construction of stable cut slopes and sidehill fills, and the stabilization of failed slopes. He provides the foundation for determining the potential for surface movements and for preventing or controlling their effects. A section on earthquakes summarizes and links all of the aspects of earthquakes including their causes, characteristics, and surface effects. It provides a thorough grounding in how to recognize hazard potential and minimize the consequences.

There is no field within geotechnical engineering in which the state of the art is changing so rapidly. Providing the latestinformation, this resource is a useful tool for designing new projects and redesigning old ones.

Plates: Theories and Applications provides a comprehensive introduction to plate structures, covering classical theory and applications. It considers plate structures in several forms, starting from the simple uniform, thin, homogeneous metallic structure to more efficient and durable alternatives involving features such as variable-thickness, lamination, sandwich construction, fiber reinforcement, functional gradation, and moderately-thick to very-thick geometry. Different theoretical models are then discussed for analysis and design purposes starting from the classical thin plate theory to alternatives obtained by incorporation of appropriate complicating effects or by using fundamentally different assumptions. Plates: Theories and Applications alsocovers the latest developments on the topic.

Accelerating economic development and urbanization has led to engineers becoming increasingly ambitious, carrying out excavations in more difficult soils, so that excavations are deeper and more extensive. These complex conditions require advanced analysis, design methods and construction technologies. Most books on general foundation engineering introduce basic analysis and design of excavation, but do not usually deal with analysis and design in practice. This book covers both areas, introducing methods currently used in modern engineering, which can readily be applied to analysis and design in actual excavations. Based on interaction between research results, analysis and teaching experience, the book is suitable for both teachers and engineers in advanced analysis and design. Each chapter ends with a series of problems and solutions, making it equally useful as a textbook for senior undergraduate and graduate levels.

The modeling of mechanical properties of materials and structures is a complex and wide-ranging subject. In some applications, it is sufficient to assume that the material remains elastic, i.e. that the deformation process is fully reversible and the stress is a unique function of strain. However, such a simplified assumption is appropriate only within a limited range, and in general must be replaced by a more realistic approach that takes into account the inelastic processes such as plastic yielding or cracking.

This book presents a comprehensive treatment of the most important areas of plasticity and of time-dependent inelastic behavior (viscoplasticity of metals, and creep and shrinkage of concrete). It covers structural aspects such as:

• incremental analysis

• limit analysis

• shakedown analysis

• optimal design

• beam structures subjected to bending and torsion

• yield line theory of plates

• slip line theory

• size effect in structures

• creep and shrinkage effects in concrete structures.

• yield surfaces for metals and plastic-frictional materials

• hardening and softening

• stress-return algorithms

• large-strain formulations

• thermodynamic framework

• microplane models

• localization of plastic strain.

Commissioned by the Cabinet Office and using hitherto untapped British Government records, this book presents an in-depth analysis of the successful project of 1986-94.
This is a vivid portrayal of the complexities of quadripartite decision-making (two countries, plus the public and private sectors), revealing new insights into the role of the British and French Governments in the process. This important book, written by Britain's leading transport historian, will be essential reading for all those interested in PPPs, British and European economic history and international relations.
The building of the Channel Tunnel has been one of Europe's major projects and a testimony to British-French and public-private sector collaboration. However, Eurotunnels current financial crisis provides a sobering backcloth for an examination of British Governments long-term flirtation with the project, and, in particular, the earlier Tunnel project in the 1960s and early 1970s, which was abandoned by the British Government in 1975.