Our research has shown that interferometric SAR techniques can be used to monitor deformation at landslides and volcanoes under specific conditions. Special filtered interferograms are being used to reduce speckle and minimize errors created by vegetation. InSAR images were used to monitor current post slide motion along existing fault lines at the Frank Slide a 30 x 10 m rock avalanche, in the...

Probabilistic system-reliability methods have the potential to assist designers in better understanding the ultimate global behavior of bridges, thus leading to more economical, rational, and reliable structures. Nonetheless, these techniques are not currently broadly used in North American bridge engineering practice. Using a sample cable-stayed bridge design, a study is conducted to assess th...

One of the most important aspects of photovoltaic modules is reliability for future uses, that is, a certain module will last certain number of years in use (generally 30 or 35 years). Reliability yields from excellent qualification tests on photovoltaic (PV) modules. Testing for reliability identifies unknown failure mechanisms and whether modules are susceptible to known failure mechanisms. T...

Usage of cold formed steel structural components for buildings and structures is gaining popularity in India for a decade. Hot rolled steel member behaviour and design are well developed, whereas the cold formed steel member behaviour and design is not developed fully compared to the rest of the world. The Indian code for cold-formed steel design, IS 801 was revised during 1975, which is in lin...

The online quality monitoring procedure for attributes proposed by Taguchi has been critically studied and extended by a few researchers. Determination of the optimum diagnosis interval requires estimation of some parameters related to the process failure mechanism. Improper estimates of these parameters may lead to an incorrect choice of the diagnosis interval and thus huge economic penalties....

Accelerated life tests (ALTs) provide timely assessments of the reliability of materials, components, and subsystems. ALTs can be run at any of these levels or at the full-system level. Sometimes ALTs generate multiple failure modes. A frequently asked question, coming near to the end of an ALT program, is “What do these test results say about field performance?” ALTs are carefully controlled w...

We introduce a unified framework for developing matching constraints of multiple affine views and rederive 2-view (affine epipolar geometry) and 3-view (affine image transfer) constraints within this framwork. We then describe a new linear method for Euclidean motion and structure from 3 calibrated affine images, based on insight into the particular structure of these multiple-view constraints....

This paper reports test results on electrical characteristics, evaluation of design, failure modes and reliability of thermally actuated, commercially available micromachined relays. The selected parts have been characterized over a wide range of temperatures (from – 100 °C to +180 °C) and varying load conditions (voltages from 10 V to 70 V, and currents from 5 mA to 200 mA). Mechanical integri...

Stability analyses are routinely performed in order to assess the safe and functional design of an excavated slope (e.g. open pit mining, road cuts, etc.), and/or the equilibrium conditions of a natural slope. The analysis technique chosen depends on both site conditions and the potential mode of failure, with careful consideration being given to the varying strengths, weaknesses and limitation...