2026 Technical Seminar
Industry Challenges and Lessons: Failures and How they Move us Forward
Location: Rice University - Duncan Hall, Houston, TX
Date: May 21th, 2026, 8:00am – 5:00pm CT
Networking session to follow, 5:00pm – 7:00pm CT
Throughout history, failures in industries such as manufacturing, engineering, energy, and
technology have exposed hidden weaknesses, challenged established assumptions, and forced organizations to rethink how they design, build, and operate. From factory accidents that reshaped safety regulations to product failures that inspired revolutionary innovations, industrial failures have repeatedly acted as catalysts for learning and transformation. By studying these failures, we move beyond blame and toward understanding. When lessons are acknowledged and applied, failures become stepping stones to drive safer practices, smarter technologies, and more resilient industries. In this way, industrial failures do not simply mark what went wrong; they illuminate the path forward. This seminar provides a platform for both industry and academia to work together to rethink and resolve problems for a safer community.
Schedule of Events
7:30 - 8:15 am Breakfast and Check-in
8:15 - 8:30 am Kickoff - Fatigue Session
Speaker: ASM Houston Seminar Committee
8:30 - 9:20 am Morning Keynote: Learning from the Past: Perspectives on Failure Analyses with an Emphasis on Fatigue
David Matlock - Colorado School of Mines
9:20 - 10:00 am Metallurgical Failure Investigation of the Keystone Pipeline MP-14 Incident
Andres Rodela - Ethos
10:00 - 10:20 am Morning Break - Drilling Session
Please Visit the Exhibitor Booths in the main atrium!
10:20 - 11:00 am Failure Analysis and Characterization of Brazed Cutting Tools in Oil & Gas Drilling
Rebecca Darr - Baker Hughes
11:00 - 11:40 am A Structured Methodology for Failure Investigation of PDC and Roller Cone Bits
Ramadhan Mardiana - SLB
11:40 - 12:40 pm Lunch - General FA Session
Please Visit the Exhibitor Booths in the main atrium!
12:40 - 1:30 pm Afternoon Keynote: Using Novel Technologies to Perform Accident Investigations: Benefits and Challenges in Future NTSB Materials Laboratory Investigation
Erik Mueller - NTSB
1:30 - 2:10 pm Preventing and Investigating High-Energy Releases and Explosions of Pressure Vessels
Daniel Benac - Baker Risk
2:10 - 2:30 pm Break - Hydrogen Session
Please Visit the Exhibitor Booths in the main atrium!
2:30 - 3:10 pm Why Hydrogen is Different: Linking Source, Stress, and Microstructure through Failure Analysis
Herman Amaya - IBA Technologies
3:10 - 3:50 pm Preventing Materials-Related Failures by Design: A Fracture-Mechanics Method with Hydrogen Embrittlement and EAC as Case Studies
Josh Jackson - US Corrosion
3:50 - 4:10 pm Break - Stainless Session
Please Visit the Exhibitor Booths in the main atrium!
4:10 - 4:50 pm Sulfidation of 310 Stainless in High Temperature Service
Santu Bhattacherjee - Precision Engineering Solutions
4:50 - 5:30 pm Corrosion of Newly Commissioned Stainless Steel Beer Fermentation and Aging Vessels
Joe Lemberg - Exponent
5:30 - 7:00pmSocial Hour and Prize Giveaways
Please join us immediately after the seminar for networking, food, drinks, and a prize giveaway!
Contact Information: For questions, further details, and to submit your abstracts and presentations, please reach out to ASM International - Houston Chapter at seminar@asmhou.org. Please note that presentations intended for distribution may be edited to exclude proprietary information or to include additional content not covered in the oral presentation.
Professional Development: This seminar will provide 8 Professional Development Hours (PDHs). Certificates of attendance and completion will be issued upon request.