Structural integrity and failure

High school (ages 12+)
Making & Design

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/structural-integrity-and-failure

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What does "structural integrity" mean for buildings and bridges?It means the building can hold the weight and forces it faces without breaking or bending too much. Engineers check that it stays strong for its whole life.
2. Why do engineers use computers like FEA and CFD to design bridges?Computers let them see how a bridge will behave under many different forces, like wind or traffic, before it is built. This helps them avoid surprises that could cause a collapse.

Ultimate Limit State: The condition where a structure loses its load-carrying capacity and collapses.
Fatigue: Material weakening and eventual failure due to repeated cycles of stress.
Redundancy: Design feature where a structure has multiple load paths, preventing total collapse if one part fails.