Backtalk - 05/05/2008

Metal detectives investigate Titanic sinking In "What Really Sank the Titanic," metallurgist Timothy Foecke and materials scientist Jennifer Hooper McCarty recount their investigation into what brought about the loss of the world's most advanced ocean liner, as well as 1,500 passengers and crew - the deck-plate rivet. Foecke, a metallurgist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), cast a new and intriguing light on the sinking of the RMS Titanic when he published a preliminary low-key "interagency report." While it was obvious that several factors played a part in the disaster, Foecke stated in his report that the critical failure may have been the use of brittle, substandard wrought iron rivets to hold the giant ship's hull plates together. (See "Failure of Tiny Rivets May Have Sunk 'Unsinkable' Liner,"; NIST Update, Feb. 17, 1998; ) The shock of the collision with the iceberg would have popped off the heads of a large numbers of rivets, letting the hull plates open up like a zipper to let in seawater. The authors looked at forensics, history, and vignettes on the working conditions of Irish shipyard workers in 1912 and the business pressures on the White Star Line, the ship's owners. They also employed the science and techniques of a modern metallurgy lab, to determine just what caused the ill-fated ship's demise. Go to whatreallysankthetitanic.com for more information. In most cases, advertisements contained in Machine Design employment section indicate that the companies are equal opportunity employers. The Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other laws, prohibit discrimination in employment based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, or for any reason other than lack of professional qualification for the position being offered. It should be noted that employment advertisements in Machine Design are published for the readers convenience and, in no