“Though ours is an age of high technology, the essence of what engineering is and what engineers do is not common knowledge. Even the most elementary of principles upon which great bridges, jumbo jets, or super computers are built are alien concepts to many. This is so in part because engineering as a human endeavor is not yet integrated into our culture and intellectual tradition. And while educators are currently wrestling with the problem of introducing technology into conventional academic curricula, thus better preparing today’s students for life in a world increasingly technological, there is as yet no consensus as to how technological literacy can best be achieved. " I believe, and I argue in this essay, that the ideas of engineering are in fact in our bones and part of our human nature and experience. Furthermore, I believe that an understanding and an appreciation of engineers and engineering can be gotten without an engineering or technical education. Thus I hope that the technologically uninitiated will come to read what I have written as an introduction to technology. Indeed, this book is my answer to the questions 'What is engineering?' and 'What do engineers do?'" - Henry Petroski, To Engineer is Human

Argues that failures in structural engineering are not necessarily due to the physical design of the structures, but instead a misunderstanding of how cultural and socioeconomic constraints would affect the structures.

This book examines the importance of engineering design as well as society's ability to respond to design flaws.

Suitable for engineers, this work presents a tool for expert investigation and analysis of component failures. It is designed-to-be-used introduction to principals and practices. It includes: 500 illustrations; pinpoints fracture type with comparative fractographs; and can be used as expert examples in reports.

The first book of Failure Analysis Case Studies selected from volumes 1, 2 and 3 of the journal Engineering Failure Analysis was published by Elsevier Science in September 1998. The book has proved to be a sought-after and widely used source of reference material to help people avoid or analyse engineering failures, design and manufacture for greater safety and economy, and assess operating, maintenance and fitness-for-purpose procedures. In the last three years, Engineering Failure Analysis has continued to build on its early success as an essential medium for the publication of failure analysis cases studies and papers on the structure, properties and behaviour of engineering materials as applied to real problems in structures, components and design. Failure Analysis Case Studies II comprises 40 case studies describing the analysis of real engineering failures which have been selected from volumes 4, 5 and 6 of Engineering Failure Analysis. The case studies have been arranged in sections according to the specific type of failure mechanism involved. The failure mechanisms covered are overload, creep, brittle fracture, fatigue, environmental attack, environmentally assisted cracking and bearing failures. The book constitutes a reference set of real failure investigations which should be useful to professionals and students in most branches of engineering.

This book fills the gap between failure analysis theory and the actual conducts of the failure cases. The book demonstrates the main methodologies that have evolved over time and includes examples from the 1970s to date. Engineering calculations and estimation of system stresses and strengths are given in the relevant chapters. It presents a wide range of cases studies, ranging from mechanical engineering, metallurgy, mining, civil/structural engineering, electrical power systems, and radiation damage.