Related papers: Tacoma Bridge Failure-- a Physical Model

All attempts of aeroelastic explanations for the torsional instability of suspension bridges have been somehow criticised and none of them is unanimously accepted by the scientific community. We suggest a new nonlinear model for a…

In this paper we explore the numerical study. of the Nonlinear Behavior of Suspension Bridge Models. The study of suspension bridges is one of the classic problems of mechanical vibrations, one of the most famous collapses of which was that…

We model the roadway of a suspension bridge as a thin rectangular plate and we study in detail its oscillating modes. The plate is assumed to be hinged on its short edges and free on its long edges. Two different kinds of oscillating modes…

Physicists are very familiar with forced and parametric resonance, but usually not with self-oscillation, a property of certain dynamical systems that gives rise to a great variety of vibrations, both useful and destructive. In a…

We first recall several historical oscillating bridges that, in some cases, led to collapses. Some of them are quite recent and show that, nowadays, oscillations in suspension bridges are not yet well understood. Next, we survey some…

We consider a mathematical model for the study of the dynamical behavior of suspension bridges. We show that internal resonances, which depend on the bridge structure only, are the origin of torsional instability. We obtain both theoretical…

The collapse of man-made and natural structures is a complex phenomenon that has been studied for centuries. We propose a new approach to understanding catastrophic instabilities, based on the idea that they do not occur at the critical…

We study a nonlocal evolution equation modeling the deformation of a bridge, either a footbridge or a suspension bridge. Contrarily to the previous literature we prove the asymptotic stability of the considered model with a minimum amount…

Why was the $6 billion FAA air traffic control project scrapped? How could the 1977 New York City blackout occur? Why do large scale engineering systems or technology projects fail? How do engineering changes and errors propagate, and how…

We derive discrete and continuous class of mathematical models that describe a progressive collapse in a fictional one-dimensional structure, where we consider plastic and elastic types of collisions. We examine static (collapse initiation…

The final purpose of this paper is to show that, by inserting a convexity constraint on the cables of a suspension bridge, the torsional instability of the deck appears at lower energy thresholds. Since this constraint is suggested by the…

In the past, we have observed several large blackouts, i.e. loss of power to large areas. It has been noted by several researchers that these large blackouts are a result of a cascade of failures of various components. As a power grid is…

We consider a thin and narrow rectangular plate where the two short edges are hinged whereas the two long edges are free. This plate aims to represent the deck of a bridge, either a footbridge or a suspension bridge. We study a nonlocal…

We develop a dynamic model of cascading failures in a financial network whereby cross-holdings are viewed as feedback, external assets investments as inputs and failure penalties as static nonlinearities. We provide sufficient milder and…

Reliable functioning of infrastructure networks is essential for our modern society. Cascading failures are the cause of most large-scale network outages. Although cascading failures often exhibit dynamical transients, the modeling of…

We investigate a suspension bridge model described by a nonlinear plate equation incorporating internal fractional damping and infinite memory effects. The system also includes a nonlinear source term that may induce instability. Using…

We review the "critical point" concept for large earthquakes and enlarge it in the framework of so-called "finite-time singularities". The singular behavior associated with accelerated seismic release is shown to result from a positive…

We consider a heavy, uniform, elastic beam rested on periodically distributed supports as a simplified model of a bridge. The supports are subjected to a partial destruction propagating as a failure wave along the beam. Three related models…

A recent paper proposing a model of the limiting speed of the domino effect is discussed with reference to its need and the need of models in general for validation against experimental data. It is shown that the proposed model diverges…

The complex behavior of drop deposition on a hydrophobic surface is considered by looking at a model problem in which the evolution of a constant-volume liquid bridge is studied as the bridge is stretched. The bridge is pinned with a fixed…