Episode 90: The Big Dig Incident

Choosing the wrong material can have dire consequences. In this episode of our failure series, we discuss how the incorrect choice of epoxy led to a catastrophic failure and a tragic death. Discover the series of poor decisions that turned a new highway plan into one of the costliest public works projects ever. Join us as we uncover the lessons learned from this devastating event and the changes it inspired.
Selected References:

• The Big Dig: project background [LINK (www.mass.gov/i...) ]

• Control of Epoxy Creep Using Graphene [LINK (onlinelibrary....) ]

• Forensic Engineering Applied to Failures in Concrete Polymer Materials [LINK (www.degruyter....) ]

This Materialism Podcast is sponsored by Materials Today (www.materialst...) , an Elsevier community dedicated to the creation and sharing of materials science knowledge and experience through their peer-reviewed journals, academic conferences, educational webinars, and more
This episode of the Materialism Podcast is sponsored by Cal Nano (www.calnanocor...) , leading experts in spark plasma sintering and cryomilling technologies. You can learn more about their work and services by visiting their website (www.calnanocor...) .
Thanks to Kolobyte and Alphabot for letting us use their music in the show!
If you have questions or feedback please send us emails at [e-mail] or connect with us on social media: Instagram (www.instagram....) , Twitter ( / materialismpod ) .
Materialism Team: Taylor Sparks , Andrew Falkowski and, Jared Duffy
Keywords: The Big dig Tunnel Failure Underground Highway Epoxy Creep Boston Massachusetts

[@dealsinabsolutes]

I love these videos. As a mechanical engineer, I wish I could go back and have studied MatSci after watching so many of your lectures and listening to your podcasts. In the future could you talk about Kirkendall voiding, if you haven't already? Thanks!

[@cookiemaria780]

Are you ever planning on doing an episode on fatigue failure ? I would find that so fascinating! I really enjoy all the podcasts!

[@TaylorSparks]

@@cookiemaria780 check out the episode on the de Havilland comet!

[@cookiemaria780]

@@TaylorSparksThank you for your reply! I was looking through the list, but I can't seem to find it :( Could you maybe please tell me the number of that episode ?

[@TaylorSparks]

@@cookiemaria780 podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/%CE%BC-aviation-crack-growth/id1448663986?i=1000522743845

[@cookiemaria780]

@@TaylorSparks Thank you very much!

[@aliyaabilda65]

Dear Prof. Sparks, I am currently exploring oxide growth on silicon cells, but I'm encountering challenges in understanding a specific concept. My setup involves a silicon cell with a thin layer of aluminum on the bottom, encapsulated - EVA on top, and finally covered with glass. The layering is arranged as follows: aluminum coating, silicon cell, EVA, and glass (that order), with glass being the thickest layer and the silicon cell and EVA approximately equal in thickness. The aluminum coating is extremely thin. For my experiments, I heat this setup in a furnace at 500°C for 30 minutes under a pressure of 3*10^-2 torr. My primary concern is whether oxide formation occurs under these conditions. At 500°C, all polymers in the EVA layer evaporate, exposing the silicon surface. I attempted to apply the Deal and Grove equations for oxide growth and conducted a SEM analysis, but both approaches have not provided clear insights. Deal and Grove equations are typically used for thicker oxides, and SEM analysis did not reveal a distinct oxide layer. As an undergraduate researcher, I am quite confused about how to proceed. Could you please provide any advice or guidance on how to effectively tackle this issue? Thank you for your time and consideration.

[@TaylorSparks]

@@aliyaabilda65 you may find this link helpful. It's a handy calculator for calculating silicon oxide growth under different conditions cleanroom.byu.edu/oxidetimecalc

[@aliyaabilda65]

@@TaylorSparks Thank you, but I believe this calculator only works from 700 C not 500. What should I do then? Maybe use some kind of formula or what would you suggest?

[@m43_felix]

5:53 could theyve used a geopolymer instead of the epoxy ?

[@dave8599]

I hate driving thru long tunnels.

[@TaylorSparks]

More nervous after this episode too!

[@dave8599]

criminally bad construction!

[@TaylorSparks]

@@dave8599 insane right?