CANQUE, LORENZO V. Assignment No.

3
BSEE - 3 September 15, 2022

1. In light of what you have read from our reference and as outlined in the essay above, discuss in not
more than 500 words, why the above information and insights are important in your field of study,
especially in engineering design.
As certain materials or structures researched leave the lab and start commercialization and in-
service applications, many factors must be considered. Aesthetics, manufacturability, cost, reliability,
logistics, and others. However, one significant factor that must not be overlooked and should be the central
focus in designing is safety, especially when lives are at stake, — Safety.
In the Electrical Engineering field, materials are a big part of the manufacturing of electrical
components, equipment, and machines. Thus, the mechanical properties of materials should be of quality as
there is a significant degree of risk involved when an electrical machine/equipment fails. Another thing,
electrical machines, and equipment such as generators and transformers are quite costly, and opting for a
lower than the standard quality of materials is not economical at all. Thus, the factor of safety is relevant in
the field of Electrical Engineering.
What is the Factor of Safety (FoS)? According to some sources, it may refer to the actual load-
bearing capacity of a structure or component. Meanwhile, according to law, code, and design requirements,
it is the required margin of safety for a structure or component. An FoS of 1 is deemed as minimum and
means that it will fail as it reaches the design load. Thus, FoS must be greater than 1. When lives are at
stake, a higher FoS is required. Standards differ in various industries as they have different scopes and
requirements.
When safety is at the core, other factors in need of consideration also come into play in conjunction
with safety. After all, balance is important. Stress intensities, thermal exposure, maintenance, the
combination of materials, wear and tear, as well as corrosion must also be considered when designing.
Aside from those, FoS should align with the expected load as designing a structure of high FoS but has a
much lower actual load-bearing capacity is not economical. A certain balance must be created among all of
the factors.
In conclusion, safety must always be considered especially when loss of lives and damage to
property is at play. It is important to always account for safety no matter which field you are in.

2. Cite at least two incidents that you can gather from the internet where structural collapse or failure
is caused by the inappropriate use of the material/under design was the cause.
● A condo in Surfside, Florida unexpectedly collapsed on June 24, 2021. A structural engineer said
that overloading is most probably the cause of the collapse. Other causes are improper
maintenance, soil erosion under the building, deterioration of steel and concrete, and design flaws.
● A 21-story high-rise building in Lagos, Nigeria collapsed in November last year. Engineers said that
the alteration of the design from a 6-floor building to 21 floors caused the collapse as the structural
integrity of the building was compromised. Some evidence of structural inadequacy in the
construction and signs of structural distress was revealed in the preliminary investigation.

References
https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/factor-of-safety-in-design-and-engineering-the-basics
https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/design-for-x-dfx
https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/design-for-assembly-dfa
https://www.businessinsider.com/surfside-florida-building-collapse-causes-structural-engineers-2021-7
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/17/nigerian-engineers-say-design-of-collapsed-lagos-highrise-altered