← MeoMock / Written exams
Class 2 (2nd Engineer) MEKG 📅 Dec 2022

Exam Question

With reference to steels used in ship building and marine engineering:

(a) Describe EACH of the following types of failure.

(i) Brittle failure

(ii) Ductile failure.

(b) Explain the term ductile to brittle transition stating the factor that determines ductile to brittle transition.

(c) Describe a test to determine the value of brittle fracture of a specimen test piece

Reference Answer

### (a) Description of Failure Types
#### (i) Brittle Failure
Brittle failure is a catastrophic mode of material fracture that occurs suddenly and without any significant prior plastic deformation. It is characterized by rapid crack propagation with very little energy absorption. For a marine engineering surveyor, identifying the potential for brittle fracture is critical, especially in hull structures operating in cold climates and in components subjected to shock loading.
**Key Characteristics:**

Full answer on MeoMock — surveyor-grade reference answers for 7,000+ written exam questions.

View plans Browse library

← Browse more questions

Prepare on Android — MeoMock on Google Play