Structural failure

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Structural failure

Structural failure refers to loss of the load

Structural load

Structural loads are forces applied to a component of a structure or to the structure as a unit.In structural design, assumed loads are specified in national and local design codes for types of structures, geographic locations, and usage....
-carrying capacity of a component or member within a structure

Architectural structure

An architectural structure is a free-standing, immobile outdoor construction.The structure may be permanent. Typical examples include buildings and nonbuilding structures such as bridges, dams, electricity pylons, and radio masts....
or of the structure itself. Structural failure is initiated when the material

List of building materials

Building materials used in the construction industry to create :Category:Buildings and structures.These categories of materials and products are used by :Category:American architects and construction project managers to specify the materials and methods used for :Category:Building projects....
is stressed to its strength

Strength of materials

In materials science, the strength of a material refers to the material's ability to withstand an applied stress without failure. Yield strength refers to the point on the engineering stress-strain curve beyond which the material begins deformation that cannot be reversed upon removal of the loading....
limit, thus causing fracture or excessive deformations. The ultimate failure strength of the material, component or system is its maximum load-bearing capacity. When this limit is reached, damage to the material has been done, and its load-bearing capacity is reduced permanently, significantly and quickly.

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Encyclopedia

Structural failure refers to loss of the load

Structural load

Architectural structure

List of building materials

Strength of materials

Limit state design

Limit state design refers to a design methodology used in structural engineering. The methodology is in fact a modernization and rationalization of engineering knowledge which was well established prior to the adoption of LSD....
that must be accounted for in structural engineering

Structural engineering

Structural engineering is a field of engineering dealing with the analysis and design of structures that support or resist structural loads. Structural engineering is usually considered a specialty within civil engineering, but it can also be studied in its own right....
and structural design

Structural design

In structural engineering, structural design is an iterative process of applying engineering mechanics and past experience to create a functional, economic, and, most importantly, safe structure for the public to inhabit or to use....
.

Notable structural failures

Year	Structure	Location
1847	Dee bridge disaster Dee bridge disaster The Dee bridge disaster was an England rail accident that occurred on 24 May 1847 with five fatalities.A new bridge across the river Dee, Wales in Chester was needed for the Chester and Holyhead Railway, a project planned in the 1840s for the expanding British railway system....	Chester Chester Chester is the county town of Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, Wales, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider local government district of the Chester , which had a population of 118,210 according to the United Kingdom Census 2001.... , England England native_name =\|conventional_long_name = England\|common_name = England\|image_flag = Flag of England.svg\|image_coat = England COA.svg\|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
1850	Angers Bridge Angers Bridge Angers Bridge, also called the Basse-Cha?ne Bridge, was a suspension bridge over the Maine River in Angers, France. It was designed by Joseph Chaley and Bordillon, and built between 1836 and 1839....	Angers Angers Angers is a city in the Maine-et-Loire Departments of France in northwestern France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins.... , France France France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
1865	Steamboat Sultana boiler explosion Sultana (steamboat) The steamboat *Sultana* was a Mississippi River paddlewheeler destroyed in an explosion on 27 April, 1865. This resulted in the greatest maritime disaster in United States history....	Memphis, Tennessee Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County, Tennessee. Memphis rises above the Mississippi River on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff just south of the mouth of the Wolf River ....
1879	Tay Bridge disaster Tay Bridge disaster The Tay Bridge disaster occurred on 28 December 1879, when the first Tay Rail Bridge, which crossed the Firth of Tay between Dundee and Wormit in Scotland, collapsed during a violent storm while a train was passing over it....	Dundee Dundee Dundee is the fourth-largest City status in the United Kingdom in Scotland and, fully named as Dundee City, one of Scotland's 32 Local government in Scotland Council areas of Scotland.... , Scotland Scotland conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba\|common_name= Scotland\|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg\|flag_width = 130px...
1907	Quebec Bridge Quebec Bridge The Quebec Bridge in List of bridges in Canada crosses the lower Saint Lawrence River to the west of Quebec City, and L?vis, Quebec, Quebec.The Quebec Bridge is a riveted steel truss structure and is 987 metres long, 29 m wide, and 104 m high....	Quebec City Quebec City Qu?bec or Quebec, also Quebec City or Qu?bec City , is the Capital of the Canada Provinces and territories of Canada of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region.... , Quebec Quebec Quebec , in French language, *Qu?bec* , is a Provinces and territories of Canada in the Central Canada and Eastern Canada regions of Canada....
1919	Boston Molasses Disaster Boston molasses disaster The Boston Molasses Disaster, also known as the Great Molasses Flood and the Great Boston Molasses Tragedy, occurred on January 15, 1919, in the North End, Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, Massachusetts in the United States....	Boston, Massachusetts Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a U.S. state located in the New England region of the Northeastern United States United States. It borders Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north....
1940	First Tacoma Narrows Bridge Tacoma Narrows Bridge (1940) The original Tacoma Narrows Bridge opened on July 1, 1940 and dramatically structural failure into Puget Sound on November 7 of the same year. The suspension bridge spanned the Tacoma Narrows strait between Tacoma, Washington and the Kitsap Peninsula....	Tacoma, Washington Tacoma, Washington Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city in and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, Washington, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park....
1954	BOAC Flight 781 BOAC Flight 781 On 10 January 1954, BOAC Flight 781 a de Havilland Comet 1 , took off from Ciampino Airport in Rome, Italy en route to Heathrow Airport in London, England on the final leg of its flight from Singapore.... , de Havilland Comet De Havilland Comet The de Havilland Comet was the world's first commercial jet airliner to reach production. Developed and manufactured by de Havilland, it first flew in 1949 and was considered a landmark United Kingdom aeronautical design....	Mediterranean Sea Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea or Ocean off the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia.... off Elba Elba Elba is an island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino. It is the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, and the third largest List of islands of Italy after Sicily and Sardinia....
1966	BOAC Flight 911 BOAC flight 911 BOAC Flight 911 was a round-the-world flight operated by British Overseas Airways Corporation. The Boeing 707-436, operating as flight 911 on March 5, 1966, was commanded by Captain Bernard Dobson, 45, from Dorset, an experienced 707 pilot who had been flying these aircraft since November 1960.... , Boeing 707 Boeing 707 The Boeing 707 is a four-engine commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly spoken as "Seven Oh Seven"....	Near Mount Fuji Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan at . Along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku, it is one of Japan's "Three Holy Mountains" . An active volcano that last erupted in 1707?08, Mount Fuji straddles the boundary of Shizuoka Prefecture and Yamanashi Prefecture Prefectures of Japan just west of Tokyo, from which it can be seen on a clear day.... , Japan Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
1967	Silver Bridge Silver Bridge This Silver Bridge was an eyebar chain suspension bridge built in 1928 and was named for the color of its aluminum paint. The bridge connected Point Pleasant, West Virginia, West Virginia and Gallia County, Ohio, Ohio over the Ohio River....	Point Pleasant, West Virginia Point Pleasant, West Virginia Point Pleasant is a city in Mason County, West Virginia, West Virginia, United States, at the Confluence of the Ohio River and Kanawha River Rivers....
1968	Ronan Point Ronan Point Ronan Point was a 23-storey tower block in London Borough of Newham, East London, England, which suffered a fatal partial collapse due to a natural gas explosion 16 May 1968.... collapse	London London London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire.... , England England native_name =\|conventional_long_name = England\|common_name = England\|image_flag = Flag of England.svg\|image_coat = England COA.svg\|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
1970	West Gate Bridge West Gate Bridge The West Gate Bridge is a large Cable-stayed bridge Box girder bridge bridge in Melbourne, Victoria , Australia. It spans the Yarra River, just north of its mouth into Port Phillip Bay, and is a vital link between the inner city and Melbourne's western suburbs with the industrial suburbs in the west and with the city of Geelong, Victoria, 80...	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
1978	Hartford Civic Center Hartford Civic Center The XL Center, formerly known as the Hartford Civic Center, is a sports and convention complex located in Hartford, Connecticut, USA, owned by the City of Hartford and operated by Northland Investment Corporation/Anschutz Entertainment Group under contract with the Connecticut Development Authority ....	Hartford, Connecticut Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the Capital of the Connecticut. It is located in Hartford County, Connecticut on the Connecticut River, north of the center of the state, south of Springfield, Massachusetts....
1979	Kemper Arena Kemper Arena Kemper Arena American Royal Center is a 19,500 seat list of indoor arenas in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, that has hosted NCAA Final Four basketball games, professional basketball and hockey teams, the 1976 Republican National Convention, a 1976 Paul McCartney & Wings concert, and is the ongoing host of the American Royal livestock show....	Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson County, Missouri, Clay County, Missouri, Cass County, Missouri, and Platte County, Missouri counties....
1981	Hyatt Regency walkway collapse Hyatt Regency walkway collapse The Hyatt Regency hotel walkway collapse was a major disaster that occurred on July 17, 1981 in Kansas City, Missouri, Missouri, United States, killing 114 people and injuring more than 200 others during a tea dance....	Kansas City
1985	Japan Airlines Flight 123 Japan Airlines Flight 123 Japan Airlines Flight 123 was a Japan Airlines domestic flight from Tokyo International Airport to Osaka International Airport . The Boeing 747 that made this route, registered , crashed into the ridge of Mount Takamagahara in Ueno, Gunma, Gunma Prefecture, 100 kilometres from Tokyo, on Monday 12 August 1985.... , Boeing 747 Boeing 747 The Boeing 747 is a wide-body aircraft commercial airliner, often referred to by the nickname "Jumbo Jet". It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first widebody ever produced....	Mount Takamagahara Mount Takamagahara Mount Takamagahara is a mountain in the Gunma Prefecture of Japan, near Ueno, Gunma village. Its measurement is tall.The plane crash of Japan Airlines Flight 123 was initially reported on Mount Osutaka, but later confirmed to be on the ridge of Mount Takamagahara at a height of approximately above sea level.... in Gunma Prefecture Gunma Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan of Japan located in the northwest corner of the Kanto region on Honshu island. Its capital is Maebashi.... , Japan
1986	Space Shuttle Challenger disaster Space Shuttle Challenger disaster The *Space Shuttle Challenger* disaster** occurred on January 28, 1986, when Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight leading to the deaths of its seven crew members....	Cape Canaveral, Florida Cape Canaveral, Florida Cape Canaveral is a city in Brevard County, Florida, Florida, United States. The population was 8,829 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city had a population of 10,523....
1986	Hotel New World Disaster Hotel New World disaster The Hotel New World disaster occurred on 15 March 1986, and was Singapore's deadliest civil disaster since the Spyros disaster of 12 October 1978....	Little India Little India, Singapore File:Singapore Little India.jpgFile:Deepavali, Little India, Singapore, Oct 06.JPGFile:Crowded busy street of Little India.jpgLittle India is an Culture of Singapore found in Singapore that has Indian cultural elements.... near Serangoon Road, Singapore Singapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country microstate located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. It lies 137 kilometres north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands....
1987	L'Ambiance Plaza L'Ambiance Plaza The L'Ambiance Plaza collapse was one of the worst disasters in modern Connecticut history. L'Ambiance Plaza was a 16-story residential project under construction in Bridgeport, Connecticut.... collapse	Bridgeport, Connecticut Bridgeport, Connecticut Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in and the former county seat of Fairfield County, Connecticut, the city had an estimated population of 137,912 in 2006 and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area....
1993	Highland Towers collapse Highland Towers collapse The Highland Towers collapse was an apartment building structural failure that occurred on December 11, 1993, in Taman Hillview, Ulu Klang, Selangor, Malaysia....	Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur , is the largest city of Malaysia. The city proper, making up an area of , has an estimated population of 1.6 million in 2006. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million.... , Malaysia Malaysia Malaysia is a federation that consists of States of Malaysia in Southeast Asia with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government....
1995	Sampoong Department Store collapse Sampoong Department Store collapse The Sampoong Department Store collapse was a structural failure that occurred on June 29, 1995 in the Seocho-gu district of Seoul, South Korea....	Seoul Seoul Seoul is the Capital and largest city of South Korea. With a population of over 10 million, It is one of the world's List of cities proper by population.The Seoul National Capital Area - which includes the major port city of Incheon and satellite towns in Gyeonggi-do, has 24.5 million inhabitants and is the world's second largest List of me... , Korea Korea Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries, a civilization, and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia....
1996	TWA Flight 800 TWA Flight 800 Trans World Airlines Flight 800 was a scheduled international passenger flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York to Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Rome, Italy, via Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport in France.... , Boeing 747 Boeing 747 The Boeing 747 is a wide-body aircraft commercial airliner, often referred to by the nickname "Jumbo Jet". It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first widebody ever produced....	Atlantic Ocean Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions; with a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres . It covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface.... near East Moriches, New York New York The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
2000	Pier No. 34	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population city in the United States. It is the fifth-largest metropolitan area and fourth-largest urban area by population in the United States, the nation's fourth-largest consumer media market as ranked by the Nielsen Media Research, and the 49th-most...
2001	Versailles wedding hall collapse	Jerusalem Jerusalem Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and its List of Israeli cities in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if Positions on Jerusalem East Jerusalem is included....
2001	Collapse of the World Trade Center Collapse of the World Trade Center The collapse of the World Trade Center occurred after the September 11 attacks. Each of the two towers of the World Trade Center in New York City was hit by an airliner that had been hijacked by Al Qaeda operatives....	New York City New York City The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
2003	Space Shuttle Columbia disaster Space Shuttle Columbia disaster The *Space Shuttle Columbia* disaster** occurred on February 1, 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, with the loss of all seven crew members, shortly before it was scheduled to conclude its 28th mission, STS-107....	Texas Texas Texas is a U.S. state located in the South Central United States, nicknamed the Lone Star State. Texas is the second largest U.S. state in both area and population, spanning , and with a growing population of 24.3 million residents....
2004	Collapse of the Terminal 2E roof, Charles de Gaulle Airport	Paris Paris Paris is the Capital of France and the country's largest city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the ?le-de-France Regions of France .... , France France France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
2006	De la Concorde Overpass collapse De la Concorde overpass collapse On September 30, 2006, part of an overpass collapsed in Laval, Quebec, a suburb of Montreal, on Boulevard de la Concorde running over Autoroute 19. The collapse crushed two vehicles under it, killing five people and seriously injuring six others who went over the edge while travelling on the overpass ....	Montréal, Québec
2007	I-35W Mississippi River Bridge collapse	Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis is the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Hennepin County, Minnesota. The city lies on both banks of the Mississippi River, just north of the river's confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Saint Paul, Minnesota, the state's Capital ....
2007	Bridge over Jiantuo River collapse during construction	Hunan Hunan is a province of China of People's Republic of China, located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting . Hunan is sometimes called wikt:? for short, after the Xiang River which runs through the province.... , China China China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
2007	Collapse of C?n Tho Bridge	Tây Nam B?, Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam , is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by People's Republic of China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east....

Structural failure

Notable structural failures

See also

External links