Modes of failure
• For safe design, a knowledge of the possible modes of failure is also necessary, e.g. failure of the structure could occur due to
- Tensile fracture due to excessive load in the rod BC
- Buckling of the member AB due to compressive loads
- Excessive deformation of the structure or any of its members
-Fatigue failure due to repeated loading. (Such a failure could occur at a weld or other stress raising feature)
- Fast fracture i.e. fast propagation of a crack from a flaw in the structure