Engineering Catastrophes, Causes and Effects of major accidents

The author, a leading authority in engineering catastrophes, examines the causes and effects of these major accidents. The volume includes case studies illustrating factors that may lead to tragic and dire circumstances, such as unexpected materials weakness, human frailty, or a combination of the two. The role of human factors, including age and sex, in catastrophes is emphasized, with an accident record and all-cause mortality analysis methodology presented in order to show their relationship with growth rates and economic development levels. Catastrophes studied are in several fields, including shipping, oil and gas production, chemicals, rail, air, and hydrocarbon processing. An appendix includes accident data statistical methods and mathematical models.