The sudden collapse of Scotland's Tay Bridge in 1879 killed more than 70 rail passengers and shocked the population. An extensive inquiry was carried out, including numerous witnesses, experts and reports. Were the high winds that night to blame, or were poor design or mechanical failure at fault? This free course re-examines some of the original evidence from the Tay Bridge disaster.
Course learning outcomes
After studying this course, you should be able to:
critically evaluate disasters and their causes, especially from mechanical or material failures
demonstrate the importance of systematic and rigorous analysis of disasters, so that future failures can be avoided or prevented.
The course is very helpful in bringing to light the real challenges of engineering design and how disciplines like fatigue are of fundamental importance. Like other reviews, I would suggest very interesting bridge collapse video links on youtube to be added to the course, including some cited in this course, such as the documentary West Gate Bridge Collapse - Melbourne 1970. Thank you OU for this opportunity and for your magnificent initiative.