Why structures fail
Practice Flashcards
Flip to reveal answersName the four causes of structural failure.
Track your progress — Sign up free to save your progress and get smart review reminders based on spaced repetition.
All 4 Flashcards — Why structures fail
Sign up free to track progress and get spaced-repetition review schedules.
Question
Name the four causes of structural failure.
Answer
Overloading, material choice, size and shape — usually more than one at once, and size and shape are the cheapest to fix.
Question
Why do cracks start at sharp corners?
Answer
Stress concentrates there, and the sharper the corner the higher the local stress. A fillet radius spreads it, which makes a radius a structural feature.
Question
What does red on an FEA plot mean?
Answer
The highest stress in that model, not necessarily a failure. Compare the value on the scale with the material's yield strength before concluding anything.
Question
Why can an FEA result be confidently wrong?
Answer
The loads, constraints and material data were all assumed. Analyse the wrong load case and the plot is precise, colourful and useless.
Read the notes
Full study notes for Why structures fail
Topic 7.2 hub
Structural systems applied
More from Topic 7.2
All flashcards in this topic
Design Technology exam skills
Paper structures & tips
Track your progress with spaced repetition
Sign up free — Aimnova tells you exactly which cards to review and when, so you remember everything before your IB exam.
Start Free