Performance of Structures before and during Failure
Publication: Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Volume 11, Issue 1
Abstract
When designing a structure for safety against applied loads, engineers will determine stresses and strains experienced by individual materials and building systems and will compare those magnitudes with known allowable values or other limit states criteria. When investigating the failure of a structure, however, the engineer will be required to review stress and strain under conditions of overload and use that research to evaluate visual signs of distress or collapse. An investigation typically takes many avenues, some of which may even turn out to be unproductive or misleading. The purpose of this paper is to provide an investigating engineer with valuable information regarding material and building systems behavior and to suggest a procedure that will minimize the occurrence of distracting paths of investigation.
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© 2006 ASCE.
History
Received: Jun 7, 2004
Accepted: Apr 20, 2005
Published online: Feb 1, 2006
Published in print: Feb 2006
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