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4 Tech. L. & Ins. 1 (1999)

handle is hein.journals/tnlylwad4 and id is 1 raw text is: Technology, Law and Insurance, 1999 4, 1 Editorial The sixth International Conference 'Technical Fail- ures: Prevention or Litigation?' within the series of SPT-Conferences on 'Structural Failure Product Liability and Technical Insurance' was held in Vienna, Austria, during the period July 13-15, 1998. This speciality conference was organized by the Vienna University of Technology and was dedicated to the question: failure prevention or litigation? SPT-Conferences differ from other international conferences in their interprofessional as well as interdisciplinary character. These conferences bring together a heterogeneous group of experts from the technical, legal and insurance-technical fields. The conference participants share a com- mon interest to learn from failures and are fully aware of the public interest to find solutions to engineering failures. It is the SPT-Conference series which offers an international platform for this interdisciplinary and interprofessional co-operation and exchange of ideas and experience and promotes the cross- fertilization of ideas from scientists, engineers, lawyers, attorneys, managers, technical insurers and other experts from academia, government and private industry. Several invited speakers presented plenary lec- tures addressing the following fields of general interest: Industrial property protection: insurance for innovation Prevention of information loss: an overview of what can happen and some simple guidance on how to prevent, and Was it a bomb? The numerous sessions featured the themes listed: Earthquakes: earthquake resistant building structures, risk-informed design, and dynamic stress analysis of reinforced column failures in the Hanshin-Awaji-Earthquake in Japan. Risk assessment and reduction: Risk reduction on the basis of a better understanding of safety, new materials in construction, and expert methods in transport systems. Contracts, quality control and experts: con- struction contracts, misuse of computers, clash of cultures, modern charlatanism. Structural failures: structural failure investiga- tion in Australia, power station and utility pole failures, gas turbines, axle failure. Materials and structures: masonry behaviour, surface pitting, high cycle fatigue. Safety and patents: patent disclosure, technical safety of constructions. The selection of the papers gives an excellent and general state-of-the-art review of the many facets of failure analysis, safety assessment, industrial property protection, prevention of loss of informa- tion, patent safety, contract law, and their relation- ship. A possible heterogeneity of the subject may be in part attributed to the dissimilar and divergent terminology and different ways of reasoning of technically oriented and law oriented participants. Continued effort within the SPT-Conferences in narrowing the bridge between technology and law have led to the foundation of the International Society of Technology and Law. The society aims at the promotion of international co-operation of technical and law-oriented experts within the framework of structural failures and their techni- cal, legal and insurance-technical management and solution. Hopefully, the new results and experiences gained at the SPT-Conferences will be taken into consideration and put to work by the communities of science, law and technical insurance. The Organising Committee wishes to thank the Vienna University of Technology and Exponent Failure (previously Failure Analysis Associates) of Menlo Park, California for their assistance and co- operation during the preparation of this important conference. The volunteer service of many mem- bers and non-members of ISTLI in the reviewing process of the contributions is kindly acknowl- edged. Vienna, March 1999 H.P. Rossmanith 1359-9372 © 1999 E & FN Spon

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