RMS Titanic Research Articles

The metallurgical analysis of wrought iron from the RMS Titanic

In this paper, traditional metallography combined with image analysis,mechanical testing and micromechanical modelling are used to understand thevariation in the mechanical properties of wrought iron as a function of itsmicrostructure. Thousands of optical micrographs, taken in order to digitallymosaic the surface features of 35 Titanic rivets, are analysed using an automatedimage analysis routine, which measures a set of microstructural parametersincluding particle area per cent, size, aspect ratio and orientation. Results from aseries of mechanical tests on small specimens are both qualitatively andquantitatively discussed. Data from the measured microstructural parametersand mechanical testing are combined in the Generalized Method of Cellsmicromechanical model in order to predict the local mechanical behaviour ofwrought iron as a function of microstructure.

Riveted Hull Joint Design in RMS Titanic and Other Pre—World War I Ships

Beginning with an overview of riveted joint construction, this paper shows that the efficiency of riveted joints in pre-World War I ships decreased as plate thickness increased. In the case of the RMS Titanic, some of the joints involved in the iceberg impact were only about 27% as strong as the plates they connected. A finite element model is used to show how such a joint would respond to the sort of out-of-plane load that the iceberg would have applied. For one possible load configuration, the joint failure is recreated. Finally, although Titanic and her sisters were not built to class, the design of the riveted joints is examined in the context of relevant Lloyd's Register of Shipping Rules.

Metallurgical Analysis of Wrought Iron From the RMS Titanic

The discovery of the RMS Titanic has led to a number of scientific studies, one of which addresses the role that structural materials played in the sinking of the ship. Early studies focused on the quality of the hull steel as a contributing factor in the ship's rapid sinking, but experimental results showed that the material was "state-of-the-art" for 1911. Instead, it was suggested that the quality of the wrought iron rivets may have been an important factor in the opening of the steel plates during flooding. Here the quality of RMS Titanic wrought iron is examined and compared with contemporary wrought iron obtained from additional late 19th-/early 20th-century buildings, bridges, and ships. Traditional metallurgical analysis as well as compositional analysis, mechanical testing, and computer modeling are used to understand the variation in the mechanical properties of wrought iron as a function of its microstructure.

Preface to Recent Studies Involving the RMS Titanic

The loss of the RMS Titanic has fascinated the public for nearly a century. When Dr. Robert Ballard discovered the wreck in September 1985, it was determined that the ship had sustained a hull failure and another visit in 1986 found that a portion of the midsection of the ship was missing. Recent use of deep diving Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) and modern computer techniques have enabled evidence that has been recovered or seen on the seabed to be analyzed to determine what really caused this magnificent ship to sink and break apart. Yes, the ship did collide with an iceberg, but were there other contributing factors?

Enhancing Learning in Statistics Classes through the Use of Concrete Historical Examples: The Space Shuttle Challenger, Pearl Harbor, and the RMS Titanic

A HOST OF SCHOLARS have acknowledged the difficulties experienced by students learning research methods and statistics, especially those in the social sciences who may not be as mathematically inclined as students in other fields of study (Blalock 1987; Bridges, Pershing, Gillmore, and Bates 1998; Potter 1995; Rushing and Winfield 1999; Salkind 2000; Watts 1991; Wybraniec and Wilmoth 1999). Students' anxieties may cause them to delay taking methods courses, adversely affecting their ability to understand material in other classes that incorporate these tools (Bridges et al. 1998:15). Many suggestions for easing student anxiety have been offered, including the use of humor (Schacht and Stewart 1990), small group work (Borreson 1990; Longmore, Dunn, and Jarboe 1996), MM Longmore et al. 1996), and active learning or learning by doing (Potter 1995; Rushing and Winfield 1999; Takata and Leiting 1987; Wright 2000). Generally, active or collaborative learning has been suggested as a key method for improving learning in the area of research methodology. The senior author has been teaching research methods classes for over twenty years, with generally favorable student ratings. He incorporated the use of computers into classroom assignments and classroom work, as recommended by other scholars (Fischer 1996; Kain 1987; Karp 1995; Wilmoth and Wybraniec 1998). However, despite favorable student-teacher ratings and student comments of various kinds, as well as successful collaborations with students on

The Relationship Between Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Late 19th/Early 20th Century Wrought Iron Using the Generalized Method of Cells Model

ABSTRACTThe discovery of the RMS Titanic has led to a number of scientific studies, one of which addresses the role that the structural materials played in the sinking of the ship. Chemical, microstructural, and mechanical analysis of the hull steel suggests that it was state-of-the-art for 1912 with adequate fracture toughness for the application. However, the quality of the wrought iron rivets may have been an important factor in the opening of the steel plates during flooding. Preliminary studies of Titanic wrought iron rivets revealed an orthotropic, inhomogeneous composite material composed of glassy iron silicate (slag) particles embedded in a ferrite matrix. To date, very little is understood about the properties of wrought iron from that period. Therefore, in order to assess the quality of the Titanic material, contemporary wrought iron was obtained from additional late 19th/early 20th century buildings, bridges, and ships for comparison. Image analysis completed on the Titanic wrought iron microstructure showed a high slag content that is very coarse and unevenly distributed. To investigate how microstructure impacts the mechanical properties, and hence the quality of late 19th/early 20th century wrought iron, a detailed analysis of the relationship between the microstructural features and the mechanical behavior was completed. Here we present the first step in that process: the use of the Generalized Method of Cells (GMC) to predict the mechanical response of composites with variable microstructural properties. The GMC tool is used to generate the effective inelastic behavior of the composite from the individual constituent properties.

RMS Titanic: A Metallurgical Problem

RMS Titanic: A Metallurgical Problem

RMS Titanic: A metallurgical problem

On 14 April 1912, at 11:40 p.m., Greenland Time, the Royal Mail Ship Titanic on its maiden voyage was proceeding westward at 21.5 knots (40 km/h) when the lookouts on the foremast sighted a massive iceberg estimated to have weighed between 150,000 to 300,000 tons at a distance of 500 m ahead. Immediately, the ship’s engines were reversed and the ship was turned to port (left) in an attempt to avoid the iceberg. In about 40 seconds, the ship struck the iceberg below the waterline on its starboard (right) side near the bow. The iceberg raked the hull of the ship for 100 m, destroying the integrity of the six forward watertight compartments. Within 2 h 40 min the RMS Titanic sank. Metallurgical examination and chemical analysis of the steel taken from the Titanic revealed important clues that allow an understanding of the severity of the damage inflicted on the hull. Although the steel was probably as good as was available at the time the ship was constructed, it was very inferior when compared with modern steel. The notch toughness showed a very low value (4 joules) for the steel at the water temperature (−2 °C) in the North Atlantic at the time of the accident.

Titanic and Public Relations: A Case Study

The purpose of this case study is to situate the sinking of RMS Titanic in the history of public relations. Despite the fact that the sinking of the luxury liner on April 15, 1912, is among the most examined events of the 20th century, the disaster's place in the history and evolution of public relations has gone largely undocumented. This case study—an examination of the ship's promotion and the subsequent proto-crisis communications efforts provided by the ship's corporate owner, the White Star Line—offers a glimpse into a developmental phase in the history of public relations.

The Marine Forensic Panel

ABSTRACT For more than a decade, prompted by the pioneering efforts of Dr. Robert Ballard to discover and explore the wreck of RMS Titanic, there has been an explosive growth of interest in the new field of marine forensics, the application of engineering and scientific principles to the study of ship wrecks to determine the causes for the loss of the ship. The Marine Forensic Panel, a part of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) technical research organization, is co‐sponsored by a number of other technical societies, including the American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE). The Panel is dedicated to advancing the state of marine forensics and enhancing the understanding of recent and historical ship losses. The Panel has advised groups planning a number of expeditions to such historic wrecks as the Titanic, the Lusitania, and the Britannic. A number of Panel members have participated in expeditions to the wreck sites of the Titanic and the Britannic. As the credibility of the marine forensic process is established, the Panel expects to contribute to the enhanced understanding of more recent ship losses.

The Titanic and Lusitania: A Final Forensic Analysis

This paper represents the final forensic analyses concerning the losses of the passenger liners RMS Titanic and Lusitania based on photographic and other evidence taken from their wreck sites. It will detail the role of brittle fracture and notch sensitivity in the Titanic's steel plates that contributed to her loss on 14–15 April 1912 and the possibility of a similar occurrence in the Lusitania. The conclusions reached here are based upon six expeditions to the Titanic wreck site over a period of nine years, commencing with the Ballard-Michel Expedition in 1985 and ending with the 1994 IFREMER Expedition. The Lusitania analysis will reveal what brought about her loss on 7 May 1915, based upon the Ballard Expedition of 1993 and our own research into her loss, propulsion plant, and hull design.