“…It was estimated that 1 million gallons of oil were spilled on the Monongahela River, contaminating water supplies of many towns (Gross and Smith, 1989). Other incidents include the collapse of a large grain-storage tank (Gurfinkel, 1989) and the failure of a polypropylene storage tank (Lewis and Weidmann, 1999). Also, Hayes (1996) summarizes some classic accidents due to brittle fracture, including tanks and other structures.…”