Roger Long wrote:


A single bolt under tension is about the simplest structure on the planet.
The riveted "Titanic" with all those hand fitted parts, highly variable
steel characteristics, joint strength depended on individual workmanship in
riveting, and great flexibility, was arguably one of the most complex
structures to analyse ever built. These quys trying to arrange for their
"official" paper to come out at the same time as the History Channel show
were basing their case on calculations used at the design stage of a ship to
help proportion the steel sizes in the most effecient way and pointing to a
slight difference in stress to strength ratio as "proof" that this guy who
came from nowhere to appear on TV was wrong. The completely ignored the
visual evidence in the steel debris, survivor testimony, and common sense.

I really got some good laughs out of the whole affair.

--
Roger Long




Roger,

Since you have studied this incident so long, has anyone ever considered
the effect of the temperature of the water on the fracture strength of
the steel uesd to build the hull?

In his book "Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down", J.E. Gordon
analizes the changes in physical properties that the near freezing water
would have had on the steels of teh day.

Had the metals retained their ductility, the damage may have been
limited to a single bay, and the ship survive.

I couldn't turn up that piece of text on line, but a sample of the book
may be seen at http://books.google.com

http://books.google.com/books?id=oQB...t%22+fall+down

I think you would enjoy it.


Richard Lamb




^1 Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down by J. E. Gordon

J.E. Gordon’s book is a great read.
Gordon strips engineering of its confusing technical terms,
communicating its founding principles in accessible, witty prose.
Amazing factoids and insights for the lay person abound in this book,
alhought the technical details may a bit heavy for some.

Witty - it will change the way you see the world