Factor of safety definition

Factor of safety means a design factor used to provide for the possibility of loads greater than those assumed, and for uncertainties in design and fabrication.
Factor of safety means the ratio of the forces or moments resisting mass movement to the forces or moments tending to produce mass movement.
Factor of safety or “Safety factor” means the ratio of the forces tending to resist the failure of a structure to the forces tending to cause such failure as determined by accepted engineering practice.

Examples of Factor of safety in a sentence

  • Factor of safety shall be considered as 3 for evaluation of safe bearing capacity of soil.

  • Factor of safety for designing shall be considered minimum1.5 times.

  • SYLLABUS: UNIT – I: Simple Stresses And Strains : Elasticity and plasticity – Types of stresses and strains– Hooke’s law – stress – strain diagram for mild steel – Working stress – Factor of safety – Lateral strain, Poisson’s ratio and volumetric strain – Elastic moduli and the relationship between them – Bars of varying section – stresses in composite bars – Temperature stresses.Strain Energy – Resilience – Gradual, sudden, impact and shock loadings – simple applications.

  • Factor of safety (FOS) means the ratio of the forces tending to resist the failure of a structure, as compared to the forces tending to cause such failure as determined by accepted engineering practice.

  • Factor of safety, ultimate strength and working strength, elastic constants, Poisson ratio.


More Definitions of Factor of safety

Factor of safety means the quotient obtained by dividing the breaking load or ultimate strength of a material by the safety of design load.
Factor of safety means the ratio between the ultimate breaking stress and the working stress of the material, structure or device. For example, the term "factor of safety of four" means that the material, structure or device shall be constructed of such strength that the maximum load will be one-fourth the designed ultimate breaking load. Where other factors of safety appear, they shall apply in the same manner. The standards of the "American Society for Testing Materials" shall be used in determining the strength of material except as otherwise provided herein.
Factor of safety means the ratio of the ultimate strength of materials to the allowable stress;
Factor of safety means the numerical value obtained by dividing the minimum breaking load or tension of an item of equipment by its certificated safe working load.
Factor of safety means the ratio of average available strength of the soil along the critical slip surface to that required to maintain equilibrium. The design minimum factors of safety are provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources Technical Guide - River and Stream Systems: Flooding Hazard Limit (2002). The higher factor of safety is used in complex geotechnical conditions or where there are geologically metastable materials.
Factor of safety means the ratio of the forces or moments resisting mass movement to the forces
Factor of safety means, for slope stability purposes, the ratio of the resisting forces to the driving forces.