3 Unbelieveable Engineering Disasters

3 Unbelieveable Engineering Disasters

As impressive as some our modern inventions may seem, there is always a chance for our designs to fail. To err is human, as the old adage states. Major endeavors, such as the design and construction of a new building, rely on the collective knowledge of hundreds of individuals. Having said that, the success of any project will depend greatly on the weakest link in the chain of knowledge. This is precisely the reason mechanical engineering jobs are in such high demand. The following is a collection of the three worst engineering failures in the modern era.

Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster

On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated off the coast of Florida causing the deaths of its seven crew members. It is believed that an O-ring seal on the right solid rocket booster failed, causing a breach in the joint and allowing hot, pressurized gas from within the rocket motor to escape. This led to the structural failure of the external tank and precipitated, with the assistance of aerodynamic forces, the complete breakup of the vehicle. The failure of the O-rings was attributed to a faulty design by the Rogers Commission.

Chernobyl Nuclear Meltdown

On April 26, 1986, the world witnessed the worst nuclear power plant disaster in history at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Ukraine. The resulting explosion(s) resulted in the release of significant amounts of radiation into the atmosphere, producing over 400X more fallout than the bombing of Hiroshima. While human error may have played a role in the disaster, flaws in the design of the control rods are thought to have been the root cause of the accident. The authorities remain largely unsure of the effects of the radiation exposure, and the area is still heavily contaminated over 20 later.

New Orleans Levee System

In August of 2005, a series of hurricanes hammered the areas in and around New Orleans, Louisiana. It is believed that there were over 50 individual failures in the levee systems and flood walls intended to protect the city of New Orleans. These levee failures contributed to the flooding of over 85% of the city, with some areas under ten feet of water or more. In 2006, the U.S Army Corps of Engineers, in testimony before the U.S Senate Subcommittee on Energy and Water, conceded that there were “problems with the design of the structure”. New Orleans, Louisiana remains a disaster zone to this day.

Design flaws: what do you want to see improved in these technology products?

Question by Corruptor Bot ¦ÆЩ±®¬: Design flaws: what do you want to see improved in these technology products?

Design flaws: what do you want to see improved in these technology products, including some which are in development and some which are already on the market (assuming the company will develop and release a “newer” model or version).

1. Apple Macbook Pro
2. Apple iPhone
3. Microsoft Windows 7
4. Apple iMac 24″ (latest version)

*please add anything else you can think of, state it’s design flaws, and what you want improved in the next version.

Best answer:

Answer by Tat
1. Macs don’t have right click and scroll wheel
2. iPhone 2.2 still don’t know how to store the calendar in universal time. So when you go to a new timezone, the schedules don’t change correctly. Outlook does this correctly; and so does Palm calendar. Display needs to be wider so that it can get a standard column into a 12 point font, without shrinking the font in landscape mode. Need to have a real keypad like the G-phone and still be thin. Need microSD. Need multi-tasking.
3. Windows 7 is like Mary Poppins; perfect in every way. We’ll see.

What do you think? Answer below!

Will liberals ever admit to the failures of social engineering in the 1970s?

Question by Annie Coulter’s Little Black Dress: Will liberals ever admit to the failures of social engineering in the 1970s?

Remember the “Terror Towers” of public housing in the inner cities. At least we got the comedy series “Good Times” from it, and it also made for cheaper real estate when the yuppies went in during the 1990s and did urban renewal. What do you think?

Best answer:

Answer by Me
All liberals did was create more racism and urban violence.

Add your own answer in the comments!

What types of building design do states where the San Andres is fault have?

Question by Curly: What types of building design do states where the San Andres is fault have?

A question off of my science final exam review guide.

Best answer:

Answer by For Me to know
Buildings in earthquake prone area are required to seismically designed
where building structural systems can withstand the P and S waves of earthquakes
with expansion joints at roofs, walls you might see more wood used as structural members than steel or concrete but steel and concrete can be used if designed correctly

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Intuit QuickBooks Recovery to Fix Database Engine Failure

Intuit QuickBooks Recovery to Fix Database Engine Failure

QuickBooks is a popular Accounting and Financial Management application by Intuit. It stores all your precious accounting data in QBW (QuickBooks database) file. Intuit QuickBooks uses a database engine, called Anywhere, for effective management and manipulation of your significant data. However, in some cases, the database engine fails to work due to corrupt QuickBooks database. At this point, all your precious data become inaccessible and you come across data loss problems. In such grave situations, you need to opt for Intuit QuickBooks recovery to get your business-critical data back.

As a practical example of QuickBooks database engine failure, you may encounter the following error message while opening the QuickBooks application:

“Adaptive server anywhere database engine has encountered a problem and needs to close”

You may also run across the the above error message while attempting to access an employee, vendor, or customer center in the QuickBooks company file. To extract information from corrupt QuickBooks file after this behavior, you need to figure out the root of the issue and fix it.

Grounds of the issue:

The problem generally occurs due to any of the below reasons:
The QuickBooks application is not installed properly.
The company file of Intuit QuickBooks database is corrupt.
The installation of QuickBooks application is damaged. Under some circumstances, the corruption may occur by virus infection on concerned drive.
You have copied company file to a removable media and then removed the drive without closing Intuit QuickBooks application.
When any of the above problems occur, QuickBooks may not work properly.

Resolution:

You can try out any of the below methods to sort out this problem:
Verify the problem database using Verify Data Utility and then rebuild it.
Create and restore portable QuickBooks company file.
Restore company file from the most recent backup.
Scan your computer using an updated Anti-virus program to find out the viruses and remove them.
If the installation of QuickBooks application is damaged, uninstall and then reinstall Intuit QuickBooks.

In case all the above methods fail to fix the issue, you need to opt for third-party Intuit repair applications.

The Intuit recovery software are capable of thoroughly scanning entire QuickBooks database and extracting all inaccessible data from it. They safely recover the database by preserving database integrity with non-destructive nature.

Find More Engineering Failures Articles

Q&A: Do Jews think that God made a fundamental design fault with the foreskin?

Question by edward mann: Do Jews think that God made a fundamental design fault with the foreskin?

Do they think that they know better than God on this issue?
Thanks for your replies. What we are actually talking about his is genital mutilation. I think people who allow this to be done to their children should be arrested for assault. How could any loving parent inflict pain on their child for no good reason? And there is no good reason!! How about you female posters, how would you feel if your parents forced it on you, and yes, it does happen!

Best answer:

Answer by Pretty Lady
Obviously. Honestly? It takes away sensitivity so there will be less enjoyment. It’s akin to the horrible clitorectomies that are performed on young women without anesthesia in many 3rd world countries. Torture.

When a man’s penis is hard, you would never know they weren’t circumcised. I personally believe that our creator wanted us to enjoy making love to each other and getting excited about it. There is much less excitement when the protective covering is gone. Rubbing inside underwear or pants without the foreskin to protect it, makes the sensitivity much less.

Did you know that some little boys take a few years to really get over the circumcision experience. If your little baby boy is grumpy as phuc for a few years after circumcision, it’s because the stupid doctors believe they don’t feel that pain. They are full of crap. They feel it very much so.

Our creator would not have designed all of our lovely men and boys with it had it not had a purpose. And for all you women, young or old? As long as they shower everyday, it’s not dirty either.

Give your answer to this question below!

Tips for avoiding engine failure

Tips for avoiding engine failure

Engine failure in cars can happen for a variety of different reasons. The most common reason why an engine would fail is due to lack of routine care. There are components that not only wear down and have to be replaced on a regular basis, fluid levels that have to be checked routinely. Vehicles that aren’t maintained properly can cause an engine to fail for a number of reasons.

One reason you should do a routine check is there are many filtering mechanisms on a vehicles engine. These regulate the purity of things like gasoline, air into the carburetor and engine oil. Without changing these regularly they will clog up, making your engine work harder than it has to maintain the same performance. You also have to regularly clean the radiator for both the engine and the transmission.

You have to check fluid levels often. There are many different engine components that require lubrication, coolants and fluids all to maintain a cars performance. More recently made vehicles also have added features like air conditioning units, electronic components, and other things that require even a greater more complex regime. Just checking and maintaining a car’s fluid levels either. Build up occurs over time, in the motor, gas tank, radiator, and any other place where deposits will collect. If these systems are not flushed out at least once a year, deposit will build up, making the engine run hotter, and wear out faster.

If a vehicle isn’t maintained properly, here just a few of the possible scenarios that can cause engine failure. Too high of a temperature in the motor causes the metal to expand, creating less and less ability for internal components to move. What happens simply is that if your engine gets hot enough for something to stick, like a piston, or a valve, your engine doesn’t just stop; the force will cause it to keep going. Something has to give, the side of the motor block, the head, and a number of different ways, depending on where the failure was.

Another way an engine can fail through heat is that when the metal expands, the integrity of the metal itself can be compromised, causing the head to crack or warp. The instant result of this is a sudden loss of engine pressure. Without engine pressure you could have your foot on the gas pedal and only go five miles and hour. You may get lucky on occasion, and only blow a head gasket, or an engine plug. Gaskets and plugs are designed to blow if there is too much heat and pressure, but that doesn’t mean that you have done irreparable damage Aluminum heads are especially prone to cracking and warping because they expand a lot faster than as iron cast one.

What can you do to prevent this from happening? While not all engine failure is caused by neglect, you have got to do regular checks, monthly routines, and periodic flushes. This means things like changing spark plugs, wires, and other electrical components on a regular basis. Change and replace filters and motor oil at least according to the minimum requirements by the manufacturer, or more often depending on usage. Flush out fuel systems, brake lines, coolant systems at least once a year. Check your vehicles motor often, maybe at the same time fluid levels are monitored, to see if there are any leaks in hoses, loose belts, or anything else that is out of place. Also make sure that these belts and hoses are still in good working condition, and replace if necessary. Always change out worn belts and hoses all at the same time. If one belt looks worn and needs to be replaced, chances are the other belts may be as well – don’t let looks deceive you.

There are many people out there that are unable to do this all themselves. Whether being hurt in an accident, or an older person, or even if someone that isn’t mechanically inclined, it still needs to get done. There are several different vehicle services available and many you could find locally. Some offer specialized services, like engine coolant, oil and lubrication specialists. These businesses will check and replace fluids, change filters, as well as many others. Usually they aren’t a repair shop so they don’t replace hoses belts and the like, but they do check these sometimes as well, and can tell you if something does need replacement.

There are other car specialists that do engine, coolant and heating system flushes, as well as transmissions. Generally, vehicle repair shops are equipped to handle engine and performance issues. They can replace spark plugs, belts, as well as a number of other things.

If 100% of all people sin, then it must be a fault in the design?

Question by IZANAGI: If 100% of all people sin, then it must be a fault in the design?

Sure, if was just one or two, or maybe 2 thousand then it must be their fault, but everyone? How can a creator not take responsibility for a creation that fails to do what he wants it to do?

Best answer:

Answer by Ninja Penguin
Jesus didn’t sin. The flaw is in man thinking he is not flawed, but rather the Designer.

What do you think? Answer below!

Know of any cool soils engineering failures?

Question by a_guy_from_wa_state: Know of any cool soils engineering failures?

I have to do a report on a geotechnical case study like a foundation failure (Tower of Pisa), landslide, dam, etc,

Do you know of any of these type of failures where there were lessons learned that could be useful for engineers on future designs?

Best answer:

Answer by itsbob1
Earthen dam failures, levies etc… Try a Google search.

Give your answer to this question below!

iPhone 4 Signal Loss and Dropped Calls Due to Antenna Design Flaw

iPhone 4 Signal Loss and Dropped Calls Due to Antenna Design Flaw

Cupertino we have a problem!

It seems that the “most precise thing” ever done by Apple, as Steve Jobs referred to when talking about the new antenna, is provoking a drop in signal when the new iPhone 4 is held in the palm. The metal sides of the iPhone are the antenna thus giving the phone the largest cell phone antenna ever. That seemed to be a great idea, especially that no one else was doing it. Perhaps for a good reason.

Unfortunately, sometimes, what seems to be a great idea on paper turns out not to be so great when put in practice! When the human hand touches an antenna in a single spot, it will increase the signal to the antenna due to the body’s approximately 75% water composition which allows us to conduct electricity. However, when there are multiple points of contact it will create a drop in signal due to electromagnetic interference, as the owners of the new iPhone 4 have noticed. The call quality drops, signal bars are lost, and since it’s a design flaw, it’s a much more serious issue than a software bug would be.

Apple admitted the existence of the problem and their customer support representatives are offering a solution: use “bumper cases” to prevent the hand from touching the antenna or avoid holding the phone in your hand! Both are pretty horrible solutions to a hardware problem that should be fixed by Apple.

For years we blamed AT&T for the poor coverage but it seems that they are not the only ones at fault.

In this episode I answer the question “Why did you build a flaw into the Death Stars?”

Video Rating: 4 / 5

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