ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with overload failures. Overload failures essentially happen instantaneously. The center piece is as they were supplied and the pieces on either side were from different production batches but used in the same application. An interesting example of this low temperature embrittlement phenomenon can be seen in the failure of a group of chairs from ski lifts. Ski lifts most commonly operate from about -18°C to 2°C and these chairs were impact loaded when they swung and hit the top terminal support. The notches that caused the failure can readily be seen and it is obvious from their dark color that they had been there for some time. The photos show a 130 mm diameter pin used as a pivot in the boom of a very large bucket loader used in a production operation. Overloading a part can result in either a ductile or a brittle fracture depending on the material characteristics and the rate of load application.
