Failure analysis of engineering structures : methodology and case histories

Failure analysts, practicing engineers, and students of engineering will find useful guidance and detailed examples in this reference work on the challenging and complex task of investigating service failures and accidents. Based on over four decades of fieldwork by the Failure Analysis and Accident Investigation Group at the National Aerospace Laboratories (Bangalore, India), chapters in the book cover common causes of failures with numerous examples, methodology of failure analysis including some advanced techniques, various mechanisms of failures and characteristic macroscopic and microscopic features that provide significant clues to their causes. The authors also provide exemplary coverage on the detection and identification of damage from explosive sabotage. A separate section with more than 50 case studies of service failures also provides valuable lessons for future designers, manufacturers, users, and maintenance personnel. Over the course of four decades, researchers at the National Aerospace Laboratories in Bangalore have conducted several hundred investigations of engineering failures and accidents that took place in India and elsewhere. Written by participating scientists, this volume identifies some of the typical causes of failure and describes in detail the methodology of failure analysis. Particular attention is paid to the detection of explosive sabotage. The second half of the volume contains more than 50 case histories illustrating the failure of various types of engineering structures, including aircraft components, power plants, and chemical plants. The text is accompanied throughout by b&w photographs. Annotation © 2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR