Structural failure

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Mechanical failure modes
Buckling
Corrosion
Creep
Fatigue
Fracture
Melting
Thermal shock
Wear
Structural failure refers to loss of the load-carying capacity of a component or member within the structure or of the structure itself. Structural failure is initiated when the material is stressed to its strength 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 significantly and quickly. In a well-designed system, a localized failure should not cause immediate or even progressive collapse of the entire structure. Ultimate failure strength is one of the limit states that must be accounted for in civil engineering.

Notable structural failures

1907 - Quebec Bridge - Quebec City, Canada
1940 - First Tacoma Narrows Bridge - Tacoma, Washington, United States
1968 - Ronan Point collapse - London, England
1978 - Hartford Civic Center - Hartford, Connecticut, United States
1979 - Kemper Arena - Kansas City, Missouri, United States
1981 - Hyatt Regency walkway collapse - Kansas City, Missouri, United States
1993 - Highland Towers collapse - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
1995 - Sampoong Department Store collapse - Seoul, South Korea
2001 - Versailles wedding hall collapse - Jerusalem, Israel
2001 - Collapse of the World Trade Center - New York City, United States

Structural failure

Notable structural failures

See also