|
Why
is trajectory important?
By looking
at the final resting position of the structure after failure
it is sometimes possible to work backwards and identify the
area of failure.
For example,
if a failure at the bottom of the columns brought the bridge
down then we would expect it to fall together, largely in
one piece. So the girder should land the same horizontal distance
away from the column break as it was originally away from
the break point vertically. The following link will open a
new browser window.
TRAJECTORY
INTERACTIVE
You will
need to have a Flash Player plug-in to view these diagrams.
If you do not have a Flash Player, please download it now.
|
