Outline

Overview

Develop advanced knowledge and skills in diagnostic analyses of materials failure using advanced techniques; enhance students' ability in handling complex engineering cases using interdisciplinary technologies; and provide students an opportunity to understand project research.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	(MECH3361 or MECH8361 or MECH9361) and (MECH3362 or MECH8362 or MECH9362) or equivalent study at another institution
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	Fundamental knowledge in materials science and engineering: 1) atomic and crystal structures 2) metallurgy 3) structure-property relationship 4) mechanics of engineering materials 5) solid mechanics
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Anna Paradowska, anna.paradowska@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 1 September 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Out-of-class quiz	Quiz 1 Quiz	15%	Week 07 Due date: 18 Sep 2025 at 14:00 Closing date: 18 Sep 2025	1.5 hours	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Practical skill	Assignment 1 Assignment	10%	Week 07 Due date: 21 Sep 2025 at 23:59 Closing date: 21 Sep 2025	5 weeks	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Practical skill	Assignment 2 Assignment	15%	Week 12 Due date: 26 Oct 2025 at 23:59 Closing date: 26 Oct 2025	5 weeks	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Presentation on Failure Analysis Case Study (RE)/Presentation on Lab Work (CC) Student presentations	10%	Week 12	20 minutes	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Out-of-class quiz	Quiz 2 Quiz	25%	Week 13 Due date: 30 Oct 2025 at 14:00 Closing date: 30 Oct 2025	1.5 hours	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Perspective on Failure Analysis Case Study (RE)/Report on Lab Work (CC) Report/Essay	10%	Week 13	4 weeks	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Dissertation or thesis	Case Study Notes (RE)/Laboratory Logbook (CC) Annotated bibliography	10%	Week 13	4 weeks	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Contribution	Engagement Attendance	5%	Week 13	30 hours	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Unless otherwise specified, all assignments must be uploaded to Canvas via Turnitin prior to the due date for submission

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Assignments/dissertations submitted after the due date for submission will receive a 10% of maximum grade penalty for every day late, or part thereof

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to Materials Failure; Case studies start (RE)	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 01	Gain an overview of the types of material failure that affect mechanical and structural design; Learn the economic importance of fracture; Understand how the limitations on strength and ductility of materials are dealt with in engineering design; Develop an appreciation of how the development of new technology requires new materials and new methods of evaluating the mechanical behavior of materials	Independent study (8 hr)
Week 02	Yielding and Fracture under Combined Stresses; Assignment 1 start	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 02	Review the stress analysis regarding axial load, torsion, bending, and shear, as well as plane stress and plane strain transformation; Understand three basic failure theories; Develop and employ yield/fracture criteria for predicting failure under multiaxial stresses; Compare and discuss these basic criteria as to applicability and extensions	Independent study (8 hr)
Week 03	Buckling	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 03	Understand the concepts of critical load, ideal column and the effects of various supports on buckling; Become familiar with inelastic buckling and methods of designing both concentrically and eccentrically loaded columns	Independent study (6 hr)
Week 04	Fracture of Cracked Members	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 04	Understand the effects of cracks on materials and the concept of fracture toughness, KIc; Explore trends in KIc with different materials and different temperatures, loading rates and processings; Evaluate the effects of cracks in engineering components and analyze the effects of plasticity in cracked members, including plastic zone sizes, constraint effects due to plate thickness, and fully plastic limit loads	Independent study (12 hr)
Week 05	Fatigue of Materials	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 05	Understand the definitions and concepts of cyclic loading, sources of cyclic loading, and be familiar with laboratory testing in fatigue; analyze typical test data to obtain S-N curves and evaluate mean stress effects; explore the cyclic fatigue behavior of materials as a process of progressive damage leading to cracking and failure, including trends for stress level, geometry, surface condition, environment, and microstructure; apply engineering methods to estimate fatigue	Independent study (12 hr)
Week 06	Fatigue Crack Growth	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 06	Apply the stress intensity factor K of fracture mechanics to fatigue crack growth and to environmental crack growth; understand fatigue crack growth rate test methods and trends in fatigue crack growth behavior; Explore fatigue crack growth rate curves and evaluate stress ratio effects; Learn how to calculate the life to grow a fatigue crack to failure	Independent study (12 hr)
Week 07	Quiz 1; Assignment 1 due; Assignment 2 start	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 08	Creep Failure	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
	Explore time-dependent behavior and physical mechanisms for creep; Learn how to apply time-temperature parameters to estimate creep-rupture life; Review stress–strain–time models and relationships for engineering materials, and understand how to apply these to analysis of simple components	Independent study (8 hr)
	Brittle vs. Ductile Fracture of Low Carbon Steel (CC)	Practical (3 hr)
Week 09	Corrosion and Degradation of Materials	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 09	Understand the mechanisms and causes of corrosion and degradation for metals, ceramics and polymers; describe the common measures used to prevent corrosion; learn how to determine metal oxidation rate; Become familiar with the eight forms of corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement, the nature of their deteriorative process and the proposed mechanism	Independent study (6 hr)
Week 10	Individual Presentation on Failure Analysis Case Study (RE)	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 11	Individual Presentation on Failure Analysis Case Study (RE)	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 11	Buckling of Aluminum Tubes (CC)	Practical (3 hr)
Week 12	Individual Presentation on Failure Analysis Case Study (RE); Assignment 2 due	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 12	Creep Behavior of Perspex (CC)	Practical (3 hr)
Week 13	Quiz 2; Individual Perspective on Failure Analysis Case Study due	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 13	Group Presentation on Lab Work (CC)	Practical (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Students should attend at least 80% of all classes

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Failure Analysis Case Studies II

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Uncover and characterize failure processes and mechanisms of engineering materials and structures using various tools
LO2. Characterize materials failure using various failure theories
LO3. Describe and characterize multiscale structures (micro-/meso-/macro-structures) of engineering materials using various tools including microscopy
LO4. Understand the general relationship between mechanical performance and multiscale structures of engineering materials
LO5. Demonstrate the ability to work independently and as part of a team; plan and make decisions through effective communication

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Alignment with Competency standards

Outcomes	Competency standards
	Engineers Australia Curriculum Performance Indicators - 1. ENABLING SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPMENT
	Engineers Australia Curriculum Performance Indicators - 1. ENABLING SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPMENT
	Engineers Australia Curriculum Performance Indicators - 1. ENABLING SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPMENT
	Engineers Australia Curriculum Performance Indicators - 1. ENABLING SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPMENT
	Engineers Australia Curriculum Performance Indicators - 3. PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No significant changes have been made since this unit was last offered.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

MECH5304: Materials Failure

Semester 2, 2025 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links