ABSTRACT
To develop a hypothesis is to develop a theory as to the sequence of events that led to the reason or reasons why a problem appeared. Causal chains are stepwise evolutions of problem causes. Again, the thought process behind theory development starts with the problem at hand and then, working backward, asking the question why until we arrive at a potential root cause. When creating causal chains, or developing hypotheses, we always start our journey with the symptoms of the problem, but we also have to consider the impact of changes, defect-free configurations, and distinctions. In the case of the inner liners that split, the team had developed two primary theories that had to be tested. The first theory involved the joint being placed under tension as it was stretched around the corners of the plaster form. The second theory revolved around the volume of cement applied to the inner liner material.
