UNIT I---FAILURES Building components tend to fail at different rates depending on the materials, designs, method of construction, environmental conditions and the use to which the building is put. Substandard materials and design errors are identified as major causes of component failure. The causes of building collapse can be classified as- • Bad Design • Faulty Construction • Foundation Failure • Extraordinary Loads • Unexpected Failure Modes • Combination of Causes 1.The common causes of bad design as well as design failure: Internal factors/Human Errors The internal factors for bad design does not mean only errors of computation, but a failure to take into account the loads the structure should be able to carry and improper choice of materials or misunderstanding of their properties. External Factors These are often natural, such as extraordinary loads, heavy ra...