Wilhelm August Julius Albert (January 24, 1787 - July 4, 1846) was a German mining administrator, best remembered as the first person to record observations of metal fatigue.

Albert was born in Hanover and show early talent as a musician before embarking on the study of law in Göttingen in 1803. Experience in the Harz mountains awakened an interest in mining and, in 1806, he was appointed to the Mining and Forestry Office in Clausthal. By 1836 he was directing the entire mining industry of the Harz region.

In 1829, he observed, studied and reported the failure of iron mine-hoist chains arising from repeated small loadings, the first recorded account of metal fatigue¹. He also invented a novel intertwined cable which was first used in the Clausthal Caroline mine in 1834.

He died in Clausthal.

References

1. Albert, W. A. J. (1838) "Über treibseile am Harz" Archive für Mineralogie Geognosie Bergbau und Hüttenkunde, vol. 10, pp215-34