ENGR 5273G - Design by Failure

This course examines the nature of design failure and shows how analysis of failure can be used in improving new designs. Through analysis of historical and contemporary case studies of catastrophes well known worldwide, students acquire learning experiences from past mistakes to avoid repeating them in the future. The course covers Shippaigaku, the Japanese way to research accidents, scandals and other failures to uncover the root cause, reveal the scenario that led to the unwanted event and describe what happened so students can clearly repeat the steps in their mind and propose ways to avoid those mistakes in the future. Various other methods for failure mode identification are also covered.
Credit hours: 3