No one wants to be the one to have a faulty product that harms someone, but sometimes accidents happen. This calculator is an easy way to figure out how many safety factors you need to be safe. Just enter the weight of the object you want to move and the weight of the object you are moving it from, and it will tell you how much safety factor you need.

You should also see our PVIFA Calculator to spread your knowledge a bit more, or maybe this Decibel dB Calculator.

What is the Factor of Safety?

The Factor of Safety is the basis for construction and engineering works. At the very beginning, when planning building constructions, engineering works, preparing materials, and making safety plans, engineers determine what load or stress the planned facility can withstand. The load level that the building will withstand is determined for building stability in extreme situations and is called the safety factor.

To determine the safety factor, engineers must first perform a detailed analysis of each building segment. Regardless of what type of construction needs to construct, each construction element will be detailed. The study of individual components is done to determine a specific safety factor for each of them. It is impossible to decide on the safety factor for the whole building because not all building elements are built of the same material and will not withstand every pressure with the same resistance. You can also use our pressure calculator to induce pressure.

Building materials according to pressure resistance are divided into ductile and brittle. Depending on the level of changes in the material, it is determined whether flexible or brittle. Ductile materials are those on which changes and deformations are noticeable but without cracking, while brittle materials are brittle under maximum pressure.

 Understanding safety factors with an example

It is a crucial element in the construction of facilities, the omission of which could cause huge hazards and endanger many human lives. For example, we will explain the safety factor.

The safety factor that you encounter in everyday life, and you may not have known more about it until now, is on the bridges. At the beginning of the bridge, you saw a traffic sign with a number. That number represents the maximum load you can bear the most at one time. Suppose you wonder if it will crash the most on the next gram above the recommended weight. The answer is no. Although the limits are set to a certain weight, bridges are built with higher durability. However, if a much higher load is made, it increases, and the bridge is likely to collapse.

All other construction facilities operate on the same principle, i.e., the safety factor will be higher than the load or stress that the structure can bear to avoid and reduce unwanted consequences.

Factor of Safety Equation

The calculation of load levels depends on the type of structures and objects for which the analysis is performed. The load can be mechanical, thermal, nominal, working, design, essential, complex, static, and dynamic.

If some of the listed loads vary or experience changes under weather conditions, these are active loads. Contrary to active loads are dead loads or loads that remain unchanged even after a long period.

Since the determination of the safety factor depends on the type of load, the safety factor can be calculated by different equations for the safety factor. Regardless of the various calculation methods, the result obtained is the safety load above the projected working load.

When the object is under load, the load or stress level will depend on the type of material on which the pressure is. The load for calculating the safety factor is the maximum strength, and the load at a given design load is the design load. The maximum strength and design load or stress ratio provide us with a safety factor.

SF = \frac{MS}{DL}

SF – Safety factor

MS – maximum strength

DL – Design Load

Factor of Safety formula

Suppose the result is calculated safety factor formula 1, which means that the design load is equal to the safety load. So, for a better design, the safety factor should always be greater than 1. If the safety factor is less than 1, the product is in danger.

It means that if the safety factor is less than 1, the construction of any object (buildings, bridges, furniture, machines) can fail before the predicted level of maximum load. In such situations, it is necessary to recalculate via the safety factor formula to determine the actual total power, i.e., how much load it can withstand.

The safety factor formula provides accurate and reliable data that will prevent hazards, loss of human lives. However, incorrectly calculated values ​​can lead to significant losses. To avoid unwanted consequences, you have the opportunity to use our calculator for an accurate calculation of safety factors.

Application of Factor of safety

As before, the mentioned Factor of safety is used in all spheres of our daily life, without us even being aware of it. The safety factor is applied to prevent hazards, secure the facilities we use every day, and feel safe and secure.

The application of safety factors is present in:

  • Elevators – each elevator has a limited number of people or kilograms that the elevator can handle at one time.
  • Roads – installing quality asphalt of a certain thickness would not cause damage due to lower pressures.
  • Residential buildings, business premises with a large load of complete equipment, and furniture. 
  • Bridges, roads, railways.
  • Household appliances – such as a washing machine, electric stove, refrigerator.
  • Production plants – such as those in factories.