Mechanical failure modes

weakening of a material caused by repeatedly applied loads

thumb|Buckled skin panels on a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress|B-52 aircraft. Thin skin panels buckle at very low loads. In the case shown here, the weight of the forward fuselage structure ahead of the nose undercarriage is sufficient to cause the panels to buckle. Buckled panels are still effective in carrying shear by diagonal tension. thumb|On the front of a new Siemens Venture railway coach made of stainless steel, unevenness caused by buckling becomes apparent because of the reflection on the polished surface. In structural engineering, buckling is the sudden change in shape (deformation) of

unplanned rapid drop in the pressure of a sealed system

alteration in the polymer properties under the influence of environmental factors

thumb|Delamination of carbon fiber–reinforced polymer under compression load Delamination is a mode of failure where a material fractures into layers. A variety of materials, including laminate composites and concrete, can fail by delamination. Processing can create layers in materials, such as steel formed by rolling and plastics and metals from 3D printing which can fail from layer separation. Also, surface coatings, such as paints and films, can delaminate from the coated substrate.

high force or shock applied over a short time period when two or more bodies collide

Expansive chemical reaction damaging concrete

deformation of a metal surface due to friction

ability of a structure to safely withstand defects

applies cyclic loading to a coupon or structure to determine the rate of growth of cracks and fatigue life.

empirical power law relating crack growth to stress intensity factor range

compressive load at which a slender column will suddenly bend or buckle