Fluid Mechanics, Water Hammer, Dynamic Stresses and Piping DesignFor some, the use of the term "water hammer" evokes images of broken and bent piping, multi million dollar damages, the loss of water supplies to cities, and the deaths of individuals due to water hammer accidents. Water hammer may be defined as an extreme fluid transient, occasionally recognized by loud banging, or hammering sounds, sometimes associated with fluid transients, which are caused by flow rate changes and resultant pressure surges, where