Describe the relationships between the immediate cause, the causal factors, and underlying factors relating to the failure in civil engineering terms.

Transport engineering

Identify up to three failures that are related in some way to a failure of the civil engineering infrastructure, for example the track, the track foundation, the earthworks around a railway or structures linked to the railway.

From this short review of three failures, select one failure to consider in more detail.

Task 2. Thoroughly read and evaluate the whole of the RAIB report for your selected failure and develop an understanding of the immediate cause, the causal factors, and underlying factors relating to the failure in civil engineering terms. This will require you to draw on a wide range of knowledge and understanding you have acquired already on Civil Engineering course, for example including structures, geotechnics, materials, hydraulics as well as transport engineering.

Task 3. Provide a succinct report. Your report will include the following:

Chapter 1

Introduction.

This chapter should state clearly the reasons why you have selected the case study you have chosen, in contrast to the other two possible case study candidates you considered.

Chapter 2

Analysis of the failure.

This chapter should summarise and evaluate the RAIB report you have selected for detailed consideration. Briefly describe the failure location and what occurred. Describe the relationships between the immediate cause, the causal factors, and underlying factors relating to the failure in civil engineering terms.

You should prepare and develop your own appropriately annotated and dimensioned hand-drawn sketches to show, as appropriate, plan, cross-section, long section, and detail. You should develop, if it is appropriate, some approximate calculations which show why the failure occurred. You should ensure that you bring your own knowledge to bear, that is to say you must evaluate what you are reading in the report using the engineering knowledge and skills you have developed to date on your civil engineering programme.

Chapter 3

Conclusion.

Summarise what you think has been learned from the failure by the engineering community.