Engineering Failure Case Studies

Engineering Failure Case Studies (14 PDHs)

Series topics:

Project Management and Technical Skills (college credit)

Surface Water Hydrology

The Environment

Engineering Ethics

Water Resources Modeling

Problem Solving and Design
in an Engineering Environment

Engineering Failure Case Studies

Earthen Dam Inspection

Hazardous Waste Engineering

EPDS 7-A Teton Dam Failure 2 PDHs $110
The Teton Dam in Idaho failed during fill-up in 1976. Technical and non-technical issues will be presented. Seminar participants will also investigate various websites related to the Teton Dam failure.

EPDS 7-B Hyatt Walkway Disaster 4.5 PDHs $248
During an afternoon tea party, a skywalk collapsed in the Hyatt-Regency, Kansas City, 1981. About 200 people were injured and 114 died in this engineering failure. Technical and non-technical issues will be presented. Seminar participants will read 5 detailed papers from forensic engineers, design engineers, the engineer on record, and one with a non-technical viewpoint. Participants will also investigate related websites.

EPDS 7-C Hyatt Walkway Disaster, Short Version 1.5 PDHs $83
During an afternoon tea party, a skywalk collapsed in the Hyatt-Regency, Kansas City, 1981. About 200 people were injured and 114 died in this engineering failure. Technical and non-technical issues will be presented. Seminar participants will read 5 detailed papers from forensic engineers, design engineers, the engineer on record, and one with a non-technical viewpoint. Participants will also investigate related websites.

EPDS 7-D Hartford Civic Center 1 PDH $55
The roof to the Hartford Civic Center collapsed shortly after the facility was opened. Technical and non-technical issues will be presented. Seminar participants will read a detailed paper regarding this engineering failure.

EPDS 7-E Agricultural Storage Buildings 1.5 PDHs $83
The failure of a building caused by agricultural loading will be discussed. Technical and non-technical issues will be presented. Seminar participants will read a detailed paper on this engineering failure.

EPDS 7-F Failure Caused by Bridge Scour 2.5 PDHs $138
The Schoharie Creek Bridge in New York state collapsed during a flood event in 1987. It was built in 1954 and had scour that went unchecked. Technical and non-technical issues will be presented. Seminar participants will investigate bridge scour resources available on the web.

EPDS 7-G L'Ambiance Plaza 1 PDH $55
The lift-slab system being used to construct the L'Ambiance Plaza failed in 1987 killing 28 construction workers. Technical and non-technical issues will be presented. Six different theories on why the system failed will be described. Seminar participants will read a detailed paper on this engineering failure.