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Fast Fracture
In structural engineering and material science, fast fracture is a phenomenon in which a flaw (such as a crack) in a material expands quickly, and leads to catastrophic failure of the material. It proceeds in high speed and requires a relatively small amount of accumulated strain energy, making it a dangerous failure mode. Flaw Stress (physics), Stress acting on a material when fast fracture occurs is less than the material's Yield (engineering), yield stress. A very representative example of this is what happens when poking a blown up balloon with a needle, that is, fast fracture of the balloon's material. The energy in the balloon comes from the compressed gas inside it and the energy stored in the rubber membrane itself. The introduction of the flaw, which in this case is the pin prick, would lead to the explosion as the membrane fails by fast fracture. However, if the same flaw is introduced to a balloon with less energy - as in the case of a partially inflated balloon - the fa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Structural Engineering
Structural engineering is a sub-discipline of civil engineering in which structural engineers are trained to design the 'bones and muscles' that create the form and shape of man-made structures. Structural engineers also must understand and calculate the stability, strength, rigidity and earthquake-susceptibility of built structures for buildings and nonbuilding structures. The structural designs are integrated with those of other designers such as architects and building services engineer and often supervise the construction of projects by contractors on site. They can also be involved in the design of machinery, medical equipment, and vehicles where structural integrity affects functioning and safety. See glossary of structural engineering. Structural engineering theory is based upon applied physical laws and empirical knowledge of the structural performance of different materials and geometries. Structural engineering design uses a number of relatively simple structural c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
