Disaster And Failure Final

100 Questions | By Jackiemwheeler | Updated: Mar 20, 2022 | Attempts: 128

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1.

A Truss is a
- A.
  
  A load bearing column that holds a bridge up
- B.
  
  A strongly held anchor a bridge is secured with
- C.
  
  Lattice works used to relieve the deck of tension and compression forces
- D.
  
  Span between piers which caries a live load
2.

To design and build a safe bridge, an engineer must understand all of the following except
- A.
  
  The forces caused by things that interact with the bridge
- B.
  
  How the materials will react to the forces over the life of the bridge
- C.
  
  The force of gravity
- D.
  
  Aesthetically pleasing architecture
3.

The relative ease of using the materials wood, stone, concrete and steel (From poorest to best) are
- A.
  
  Wood, stone, concrete, steel
- B.
  
  Stone, steel, concrete, wood
- C.
  
  Wood, concrete, steel, stone
- D.
  
  Stone, steel, wood, concrete
4.

Which bridge is best suited for carrying heave loads such as trains
- A.
  
  Suspension
- B.
  
  Arch
- C.
  
  Cable-stayed
- D.
  
  Cantilever
5.

One o the major problems leading to the Tay Bridge Disaster of 1879 was
- A.
  
  Use of poor steel quality
- B.
  
  Use of pier and beam bridge where a truss bridge was called for
- C.
  
  Lack of inspection during construction as well as after the bridge went into service
- D.
  
  The hiring of an incompetent job foreman
6.

Which of the following was NOT a major factor in the Quebec bridge construction disaster
- A.
  
  Attempts to cut construction costs
- B.
  
  Lack of on site experience personal
- C.
  
  Use of substandard quality materials
- D.
  
  Failure to test design changes
7.

Torsion forces tend to
- A.
  
  Tear structures apart (like two people pulling your arms in opposite directions)
- B.
  
  Push structures in on themselves (like the crushing effect of a head-on car collision)
- C.
  
  Twist structures apart (like having the top half of your body twisted in one direction and the bottom half twisted in the opposite way)
- D.
  
  Tear structures like ripping pages
8.

Static equilibrium refers to forces which
- A.
  
  Equal force pushing in opposite directions that exactly balance each other
- B.
  
  Balance achieved with electromagnetic forces
- C.
  
  Are stronger than gravitational forces
- D.
  
  Result from the dead load of a bridge
9.

Which of the following statements concerning the Silver Bridge Disaster (1967) is NOT true
- A.
  
  It was the worst bridge disaster in US history
- B.
  
  It was sort of, but not exactly, a suspension bridge
- C.
  
  It was aggravated by heavy Christmas Traffic
- D.
  
  The resulting bridge inspection program continues to ensure safe bridge today
10.

The Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster (1940) was due, in part, to
- A.
  
  The use of excessively wide deck spans
- B.
  
  The construction material was too light
- C.
  
  Ice build up around the piers in cold weather
- D.
  
  The difficulty in securing the 2 cantilever arms
11.

A hypothesis is
- A.
  
  Plan
- B.
  
  Fact
- C.
  
  Theory
- D.
  
  Law of nature
12.

Systematic error in a set of measurements is usually the result of....
- A.
  
  Some limitation in the data collection process
- B.
  
  Some uniform problems in the data collection
- C.
  
  Improper measurement techniques
- D.
  
  A problem with the system being observed
13.

Which of the following is NOT a category of knowledge gained by studying disasters according to our class notes?
- A.
  
  How we build things
- B.
  
  The quality of our technical education system
- C.
  
  Our understanding of science
- D.
  
  Insight into ourselves
14.

A suspicious coin comes up head 70 times in 100 flips. What is a good estimate for the probability of heads occuring
- A.
  
  30%
- B.
  
  50%
- C.
  
  70%
- D.
  
  Can't decide on the basis of the data provided
15.

A scientist is most apt to engage in which of the following activities
- A.
  
  Advancing our understanding of natural phenomena
- B.
  
  Only accepting what can be proven true
- C.
  
  Application of knowledge to solve problems
- D.
  
  Arguing the absolute truth of strongly held beliefs
16.

Random error is usually addressed by
- A.
  
  Using better equipment
- B.
  
  Rounding the least significant measured digits
- C.
  
  Taking fewer measurements
- D.
  
  Taking more measurements
17.

In testing a hypothesis, if discrepancies between the tests and hypothesis occur one may have too...
- A.
  
  Modify the hypothesis to account for the new behavior discovered in testing
- B.
  
  Abandon the hypothesis for being wrong
- C.
  
  Use a different set of test for the hypothesis
- D.
  
  Ignore the data not fitting the hypothesis
18.

For normally distributed values, approximately how many fall within 1 standard deviation of the mean
- A.
  
  68%
- B.
  
  80%
- C.
  
  95%
- D.
  
  99%
19.

All but ONE of the following represent some of the tools used in testing a hypothesis. Which one isn't?
- A.
  
  Perform a simulation of the problem
- B.
  
  Report the problem in scholarly journals in the hope that someone else has solved it
- C.
  
  Use of models or prototypes
- D.
  
  Use of well-accept scientific laws
20.

If there is a 5% chance of some event occurring, then the probability of occurrence is...
- A.
  
  5
- B.
  
  .5
- C.
  
  .05
- D.
  
  .005
21.

The apollo 13 accident started with
- A.
  
  Capsule tiles loosened during liftoff
- B.
  
  Human error during a guidance maneuver
- C.
  
  Loss of battery power in the lunar module
- D.
  
  The explosion of 1 of 2 oxygen tanks
22.

The order (First to last) of the US space programs
- A.
  
  Mercury, gemini, Apollo
- B.
  
  Mercury, Apollo, Gemini
- C.
  
  Gemini, Mercury, Apollo
- D.
  
  Gemini, Apollo, Mercury
23.

The shuttle has prove to have?
- A.
  
  A effort of limited engineering success
- B.
  
  Provided great insight into interplanetary flight
- C.
  
  Be costly to than earlier launch vehicles
- D.
  
  A string of disasters similar to those of Apollo
24.

Prior to the use of shuttles, American astronauts were recovered using which technique
- A.
  
  Flying a capsule to Edwards AFB
- B.
  
  Parachuting a capsule to an ocean landing
- C.
  
  Parachuting a capsule onto land
- D.
  
  Parachuting a capsule onto an aircraft carrier
25.

NASA has been criticized in both the Apollo and shuttle disasters for
- A.
  
  Lacking talented engineers and scientists
- B.
  
  Fixing problems after they arise rather than avoiding them in the first place
- C.
  
  Over reliance on outside review panels
- D.
  
  "Sweeping problems under the rug"- that is, ignoring them until it is too late