Engineering Mistakes

The Teton Dam Failure of June 1976 was caused by the weak background of the soil and rhyolite, used to support the dam. In case the engineers did not use the weak combination of soil and cracked rhyolite, the failure would not occur. The Soyano Shuchenskya Hydroelectric Plant destruction of 2009 appeared because of several technical disadvantages, including the destruction of the cover mounting studs of hydroelectric turbine. The destruction was caused by the additional variable loads of power. In case the engineers used more powerful hydraulic units and changed the units with unacceptable levels of vibration, the disaster may not happen. The BP Off-Shore Oil Rig disaster occurred because of the oil leaking from the special rig and the damage of the wellhead. The engineers had to use adequate cementing of the annulus, reliable valves, larger diameter of circulation, adequate regular monitoring of both gas and oil leaking. The Hyatt Regency walkway collapse occurred because the failure of the supporting connection of the ceiling in the hotel’s atrium. The disaster appeared because of the design change, which required to replace the old screw threaded on the fourth floor in favor of the independent sets of the rods to tie. The replace would not be provided, as it led to the situation when the walkway of the fourth floor had to support the second floor’s one as well. The load was too big, which caused the crucial disaster. The Bhopal disaster occurred because the water appeared in the gas tank. The engineers had to monitor the gas concentration in the pipes and overcome the reverse effect in the tank to prevent the disaster. The Fukusima tsunami of 1911 occurred because of the powerful earthquake. The only way to prevent the aftermath is to improve the Meteorological stations’ prognosis to make it more distinct. The Donora, PA, smog of the 1948 was caused by the thick fog because of the harmful emissions of hydrogen and sulfur from the steel plant. If the engineers constructed more eco-friendly design of the steel plant, which did not use zinc to generate steel, the plant would not pollute the air so excessively.