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.

This book introduces the latest construction practices and processes for tall buildings from foundation to roof. It attempts to acquaint readers with the methods, materials, equipment and systems used for the construction of tall buildings.The text progresses through the stages of site investigation, excavation and foundations, basement construction, structural systems for the superstructure, site and material handling, wall and floor construction, cladding and roof construction. The construction sequence, merits and limitations of the various proprietary systems commonly used in these respective stages are discussed. This third edition also includes several new topics not covered in the previous edition.

Proper treatment of structural behavior under severe loading - such as the performance of a high-rise building during an earthquake - relies heavily on the use of probability-based analysis and decision-making tools. Proper application of these tools is significantly enhanced by a thorough understanding of the underlying theoretical and computational concepts as provided by this book.

Detailing the computational aspects of stochastic analysis within the field of structural mechanics, this book first presents a few motivating examples that demonstrate the various random effects within the context of simple structural analysis models. It moreover briefly reviews the fundamental concepts from continuum mechanics and puts them in the perspective of modern numerical tools, such as the finite element method. More advanced topics are developed step by step while gradually increasing the complexity of the structural and probabilistic analyses.

This volume is intended for structural analysts and advanced students who wish to explore the benefits of stochastic analysis. It will provide researchers and decision makers working on structural and infrastructural systems with the necessary probabilistic information needed for strategic developments in construction, inspection and maintenance.

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.

Put a New Class of Structural Composites to Use

Real Solutions for Predicting Load

Initially designed as thermal barrier materials for aerospace applications and fusion reactors, functionally graded materials (FGMs) are now widely employed as structural components in extremely high-temperature environments. However, little information is commonly available that would allow engineers to predict the response of FGM plates and shells subjected to thermal and mechanical loads.

Functionally Graded Materials: Nonlinear Analysis of Plates and Shells is the first book devoted to the geometrically nonlinear response of inhomogeneous isotropic and functionally graded plates and shells. Concerned that the high loads common to many structures may result in nonlinear load deflection relationships due to large deformations, author Hui-Shen Shen has been conducting investigations since 2001, paying particular attention to the nonlinear response of these plates and shells to nonlinear bending, postbuckling and nonlinear vibration.

Nearly all the solutions presented are the results of investigations conducted by the author and his collaborators. The rigor of these investigative procedures allows the results presented within these pages to stand as a benchmark against which the validity and accuracy of other numerical solutions may be measured

Increases in computer power have now enabled engineers to combine materials science with structural mechanics in the design and the assessment of concrete structures. The techniques developed have become especially useful for the performance assessment of such structures under coupled mechanistic and environmental actions. This allows effective management of infrastructure over a much longer life cycle, thus satisfying the requirements for durability and sustainability.

This ground-breaking new book draws on the fields of materials and structural mechanics in an integrated way to address the questions of management and maintenance. It proposes a realistic way of simulating both constituent materials and structural responses under external loading and under ambient conditions. Where the research literature discusses component or element technology related to performance assessment, this book uniquely covers the subject at the level of the whole system including soil foundation, showing engineers how to model changes in concrete structures over time and how to use this for decision making in infrastructure maintenance and asset management.

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.

Uncertainties play a dominant role in the design and optimization of structures and infrastructures. In optimum design of structural systems due to variations of the material, manufacturing variations, variations of the external loads and modelling uncertainty, the parameters of a structure, a structural system and its environment are not given, fixed coefficients, but random variables with a certain probability distribution. The increasing necessity to solve complex problems in Structural Optimization, Structural Reliability and Probabilistic Mechanics, requires the development of new ideas, innovative methods and numerical tools for providing accurate numerical solutions in affordable computing times. This book presents the latest findings on structural optimization considering uncertainties. It contains selected contributions dealing with the use of probabilistic methods for the optimal design of different types of structures and various considerations of uncertainties. The first part is focused on reliability-based design optimization and the second part on robust design optimization. Comprising twenty-one, self-contained chapters by prominent authors in the field, it forms a complete collection of state-of-the-art theoretical advances and applications in the fields of structural optimization, structural reliability, and probabilistic computational mechanics. It is recommended to researchers, engineers, and students in civil, mechanical, naval and aerospace engineering and to professionals working on complicated costs-effective design problems.

Life-cycle analysis is a systematic tool for efficient and effective service life management of deteriorating structures. In the last few decades, theoretical and practical approaches for life-cycle performance and cost analysis have been developed extensively due to increased demand on structural safety and service life extension. This book presents the state-of-the-art in life-cycle analysis and maintenance optimization for fatigue-sensitive structures. Both theoretical background and practical applications have been provided for academics, engineers and researchers. Concepts and approaches of life-cycle performance and cost analysis developed in recent decades are presented. The major topics covered include (a) probabilistic concepts of life-cycle performance and cost analysis, (b) inspection, monitoring and maintenance for fatigue cracks, (c) estimation of fatigue crack detection, (d) optimum inspection and monitoring planning, (e) multi-objective life-cycle optimization, and (f) decision making in life-cycle analysis. Life-cycle optimization covered in the book considers probability of fatigue crack detection, fatigue crack damage detection time, maintenance times, probability of failure, service life and total life-cycle cost. For the practical application and integration of recently developed approaches for inspection and maintenance planning, efficient and effective multi-objective optimization and decision making are presented. This book will help engineers engaged in civil and marine structures including students, researchers and practitioners with reliable and cost-effective maintenance planning of fatigue-sensitive structures, and to develop more advanced approaches and techniques in the field of life-cycle maintenance optimization and safety of structures under various aging and deteriorating conditions. Key Features: Provides the state-of-the-art in life-cycle cost analysis and optimization for fatigue-sensitive structures Provides a solid foundation of theoretical backgrounds and practical applications both for academics and practicing engineers and researchers Covers illustrative examples and recent development for optimum service life management Deals with various structures such as bridges and ships subjected to fatigue .

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.

This book compiles the first part of contributions to the China-Europe Conference on Geotechnical Engineering held 13.-16. August 2016 in Vienna, Austria. About 400 papers from 35 countries cover virtually all areas of geotechnical engineering and make this conference a truly international event. The contributions are grouped into thirteen special sessions and provide an overview of the geoengineering research and practice in China, Europe and the world: * Constitutive model * Micro-macro relationship * Numerical simulation * Laboratory testing * Geotechnical monitoring, instrumentation and field test * Foundation engineering * Underground construction * Environmental geotechnics * New geomaterials and ground improvement * Cold regions geotechnical engineering * Geohazards - risk assessment, mitigation and prevention * Unsaturated soils and energy geotechnics * Geotechnics in transportation, structural and hydraulic Engineering

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.

Internationally, the mechanized excavation of tunnels has intensified in the last two decades, as the number of tunnels being constructed for subways and railway underpasses increases. The subject of mechanized tunnelling in urban areas has not previously received the attention that it deserves, despite there being specific hazards associated with the construction of tunnels in metropolitan areas, including poor ground conditions, water tables higher than the level of tunnels, and subsidence leading to damage to the existing structures on the surface. The application of technologies for achieving the stability of the tunnel and for minimizing surface settlement is described in this book. Accurate characterization of the ground; rigorous assessment and management of risk from design to maintenance; the correct choice of a tunnel boring machine and a plan for the advancement of the tunnel; specific excavation procedures and real-time monitoring of excavation parameters are all discussed in this thorough work.

This volume elucidates the design rules for connections in steel and composite structures which are set out in Eurocode3 and 4. Numerous examples illustrate the application of the respective design rule.

A new analytical method that uses the capacity axis of a section to determine its minimum capacity for biaxial bending as well as provide the reference for equilibrium of external and internal forces has been developed. Introducing this method, Structural Analysis: The Analytical Method illustrates the procedures for predicting the capacities of circular and rectangular sections in concrete and steel materials. By applying basic mathematics to the standard principles in structural analysis, the author derived for the first time all the equations required for solving the true capacity of circular and rectangular sections in structural design. Previous authors have been unable to employ basic mathematics and thus resorted to approximate methods, such as the standard interaction formula for biaxial bending or more sophisticated methods illustrated in current literature on the subject of determining the capacity of above structural sections. The book begins with a discussion of the capacities of rectangular and circular footing foundation for a given allowable soil-bearing pressure followed by the author's latest integration of the Boussinesq's elastic equation for the dispersion of surface loads in determining the exact average pressure to use in the standard soil settlement formula. The author provides all the equations and tabulated values of key point's capacities of commercially-produced steel pipe, rectangular tubing, and steel I-sections. He then lists the derived equations for the determination of the ultimate strength capacity curve of reinforced concrete columns and concrete-filled tubular columns without using the rectangular stress block method of analysis. Elucidating an elegant, straightforward, and precise method, thus limiting guesswork, this book makes it easier to confirm the adequacy and safety of designs by direct comparison of the external loads to the internal capacities of circular and rectangular sections in structural analysis and design.

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.

Covers theory and background of local buckling, presenting simple design calculations which address this intriguing phenomenon. Attempts to master the process of buckling are described, citing both successes and failures. A number of failure case studies are presented as well. The final section of the book presents easy-to-follow design examples which conform to the latest Eurocode. Intended to introduce senior students in Bridge and Structural Engineering to the phenomenon of buckling, with special focus on thin-walled plated bridge girders. Suitable as a course instruction guide for its highly visual and descriptive style. Moreovere a good reference on buckling for practising and consulting engineers.

This practical guide provides the best introduction to large deformation material point method (MPM) simulations for geotechnical engineering. It provides the basic theory, discusses the different numerical features used in large deformation simulations, and presents a number of applications -- providing references, examples and guidance when using MPM for practical applications. MPM covers problems in static and dynamic situations within a common framework. It also opens new frontiers in geotechnical modelling and numerical analysis. It represents a powerful tool for exploring large deformation behaviours of soils, structures and fluids, and their interactions, such as internal and external erosion, and post-liquefaction analysis; for instance the post-failure liquid-like behaviours of landslides, penetration problems such as CPT and pile installation, and scouring problems related to underwater pipelines. In the recent years, MPM has developed enough for its practical use in industry, apart from the increasing interest in the academic world.

Collection of technical papers presented at the 5th International Conference on Stochastic Structural Dynamics (SSD03) in Hangzhou, China during May 26-28, 2003. Topics include direct transfer substructure method for random response analysis, generation of bounded stochastic processes, and sample path behavior of Gaussian processes. For scientists and researchers.

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 First Southern African Geotechnical Conference was organised by the Geotechnical Division of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) under the auspices of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) and took place at Sun City, South Africa on 5 and 6 May 2016. More than 60 papers were received from authors in South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Algeria, Austria, France, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. They represent consulting engineers and engineering geologists, contractors, academics and product specialists. The papers were grouped into the following themes: Foundations, Mining and Tailings, Modelling and Design, Site investigation, Soil Properties and Soil Reinforcement and Slopes. The wide range of topics is considered to be thoroughly representative of the current activities of the geotechnical industry in the Southern African Region.