The Potential for Non-Conservative Results From the Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics Analyses Is Assessed Based on the Collected Observation of Fatigue Cracks in Offshore Steel Structures

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ole Tom Vårdal
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Crack ◽  
Fatigue Crack Growth ◽  
Fracture Mechanics ◽  
Crack Growth ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Fatigue Cracks ◽  
Steel Structures ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Probabilistic Methods ◽  
Growth Potential

In structural integrity management, it is essential to know the fatigue crack growth potential. The lessons learned from use of refined fatigue analyses, fracture mechanics and probabilistic methods for platforms in-service are presented. For ageing offshore units of semi-submersible design, the inspection history of more than 20 000 NDT inspections and detection of close to 1000 fatigue cracks, are used in this study. These experience data are used to assess the potential for Non-conservative estimate for the fatigue crack growth potential.

Probabilistic Inspection Optimization of Free-Span Surveys for Subsea Gas Pipelines

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens P. Tronskar ◽  
Gudfinnur Sigurdsson ◽  
Olav Fyrileiv ◽  
Olav Forli ◽  
Joseph H. Kiefer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Crack ◽  
Fatigue Crack Growth ◽  
Crack Growth ◽  
Fatigue Cracks ◽  
Probabilistic Methods ◽  
Material Strength ◽  
Pipeline System ◽  
Unstable Fracture ◽  
Girth Welds ◽  
The Impact

Probabilistic methods have been used to develop the basis for free-span inspection of a gas pipeline system in the South China Sea. The objective of the probabilistic analysis was to study the probability of fatigue failure associated with postulated planar flaws in the HAZ of repair welds performed on some of the girth welds. The impact of flaws on the fatigue life under different free-span conditions were studied. Conventional free-span analysis involves computation of allowable free-span lengths based on onset of in-line vibrations and does not normally consider fatigue crack growth. To consider the effect of the weld flaws on the failure probability a combined probabilistic fatigue and fracture model is required. For the particular pipelines analysed automatic ultrasonic testing (AUT) was used replacing the conventional radiography of the girth welds. Conservatism in the free-span assessment can then be significantly reduced by taking into account detailed flaw sizing information from the AUT. The inspection records provide distribution of flaw height, length and position. Combined with information on current distribution, material strength and fracture toughness distribution, a detailed probabilistic fatigue crack growth and unstable fracture assessment can be conducted as per the Det Norske Veritas (DNV) 2000 Rules for Submarine Pipeline Systems [1] using the response models of the DNV Guideline 14 for free-span analyses [2]. The objective of this analysis is to estimate the critical free-span lengths and the time for fatigue cracks to penetrate the pipe wall.

Bi-Linear Fatigue and Fracture Approach for Safety Analysis of an Offshore Structure

2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rizwan A. Khan ◽  
Suhail Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Crack ◽  
Fatigue Crack Growth ◽  
Fracture Mechanics ◽  
Crack Growth ◽  
Growth Parameters ◽  
Limit State ◽  
Steel Structures ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Offshore Structure ◽  
Structure Degradation

The design of welded structures for the fatigue limit state is normally carried out by means of either linear or bilinear S-N curves, which have been found adequate to predict crack initiation only. To properly assess the effects of the design, fabrication, inspection, and repair strategy for structure degradation due to crack growth, fracture mechanics (FM) models need to be applied. In this paper, alternative S-N and FM formulations of fatigue are investigated. The probabilistic fracture mechanics approach predicts the fatigue life of welded steel structures in the presence of cracks under random spectrum loading. It is based on a recently proposed bi-linear relationship to model fatigue crack growth. Uncertainty modeling, especially on fatigue crack growth parameters, is undertaken with the aid of recently published data in support of the bilinear crack growth relationship. Results pertaining to the fatigue reliability and fatigue crack size evolution are presented using the Monte Carlo simulation technique and the emphasis is placed on a comparison between the linear and bilinear crack growth models. Variations in the system configuration, service life, and coefficients of crack growth laws have been studied on the parametric basis

Fatigue Fracture Mechanics Modeling and Structural Integrity Assessment of Offshore Welded Tubular Joints

1989 ◽  
Vol 111 (3) ◽  
pp. 170-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. P. Kam ◽  
D. A. Topp ◽  
W. D. Dover
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Crack ◽  
Fatigue Crack Growth ◽  
Fracture Mechanics ◽  
Nondestructive Testing ◽  
Crack Growth ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Offshore Structures ◽  
Integrity Assessment ◽  
Tubular Joints

Evaluation of the structural integrity of offshore structures requires information on the reliability of nondestructive testing, the accuracy of fatigue crack growth modeling and other data. The University College London Underwater NDE Centre has been set up to provide information on the effectiveness and reliability of different nondestructive testing methods. To achieve this aim, a large library of cracked specimens will be assembled. In the preliminary phase of producing this library, a series of large-scale welded tubular joints were fatigue tested and the crack growth was fully monitored with the ACPD technique. This paper will describe briefly the background to the crack library and present the data obtained from fatigue tests. It will also describe a new model for fatigue crack growth prediction in tubular joints using fracture mechanics. This model allows the prediction of the size effect noted previously in the stress/life curves for tubular joints.

Assessing surface fatigue crack growth in railway wheelset axle

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (106) ◽  
pp. 59-67
Author(s):  
D.V. Rudavskyi ◽  
Yu.I. Kaniuk ◽  
Z.A. Duriagina ◽  
V.V. Kulyk ◽  
M.S. Shefer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Crack ◽  
Fatigue Crack Growth ◽  
Fracture Mechanics ◽  
Crack Growth ◽  
Fatigue Cracks ◽  
Calculation Model ◽  
Energy Approach ◽  
Shear Stresses ◽  
Surface Fatigue ◽  
Surface Fatigue Crack

Purpose: The aim of the proposed research is to create a calculation model of surface fatigue crack growth at the axle of railway wheelset working under operational loads. Design/methodology/approach: The energy approach of the fracture mechanics was used to formulate the calculation model of fatigue crack propagation at the wheelset axle surface. The method of least squares was used to determine the investigated material mechanical constants that the kinetic equations of the calculation model contain. The system of differential equations of crack growth kinetics was solved numerically using the Runge-Kutta method. Findings: On the basis of the energy approach of the fracture mechanics the calculation model of fatigue macrocrack growth in three-dimensional elastic-plastic body in case of a mixed-mode I+II+III macromechanism of fracture has been built. On the basis of the created calculation model, the kinetics of the growth of fatigue cracks was investigated both in the middle part of the wheelset axle and in the axle journal. Research limitations/implications: The results obtained on laboratory specimens should be tested during a real railway wheelset axle investigation. Practical implications: The created calculation model can be used in practice to formulate method of residual lifetime estimation of railway wheelset axle. Originality/value: It was shown, that surface crack kinetics depends not only on the crack initial area but also significantly depends on the crack edge geometry and comparatively small crack-like defects at the wheelset axle surface can reach critical sizes in comparatively short run. It has been found that mechanical shear stresses caused by the weight of the loaded railway wagon in the cross section of the wheelset axle journal can significantly accelerate the growth of the transverse fatigue crack at the axle surface, reducing the period of crack subcritical growth by about 20%.

Guided Wave Acoustic Emission from Fatigue Crack Growth in Aluminium Plate

2006 ◽  
Vol 13-14 ◽  
pp. 23-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.K. Lee ◽  
Jonathan J. Scholey ◽  
Paul D. Wilcox ◽  
M.R. Wisnom ◽  
Michael I. Friswell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acoustic Emission ◽  
Fatigue Crack ◽  
Fatigue Crack Growth ◽  
Crack Growth ◽  
Elastic Waves ◽  
Fatigue Cracks ◽  
Guided Wave ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Multiple Reflections ◽  
Alloy Plate

Acoustic emission (AE) testing is an increasingly popular technique used for nondestructive evaluation (NDE). It has been used to detect and locate defects such as fatigue cracks in real structures. The monitoring of fatigue cracks in plate-like structures is critical for aerospace industries. Much research has been conducted to characterize and provide quantitative understanding of the source of emission on small specimens. It is difficult to extend these results to real structures as most of the experiments are restricted by the geometric effects from the specimens. The aim of this work is to provide a characterization of elastic waves emanating from fatigue cracks in plate-like structures. Fatigue crack growth is initiated in large 6082 T6 aluminium alloy plate specimens subjected to fatigue loading in the laboratory. A large specimen is utilized to eliminate multiple reflections from edges. The signals were recorded using both resonant and nonresonant transducers attached to the surface of the alloy specimens. The distances between the damage feature and sensors are located far enough apart in order to obtain good separation of guided-wave modes. Large numbers of AE signals are detected with active fatigue crack propagation during the experiment. Analysis of experimental results from multiple crack growth events are used to characterize the elastic waves. Experimental results are compared with finite element predictions to examine the mechanism of AE generation at the crack tip.

Effective Modeling of Fatigue Crack Growth in Pipelines

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J. Polasik ◽  
Carl E. Jaske
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Crack ◽  
Stress Intensity ◽  
Fatigue Crack Growth ◽  
Fracture Mechanics ◽  
Crack Growth ◽  
Growth Models ◽  
Critical Parameters ◽  
Operating Pressure ◽  
Mechanics Model ◽  
Key Variables

Pipeline operators must rely on fatigue crack growth models to evaluate the effects of operating pressure acting on flaws within the longitudinal seam to set re-assessment intervals. In most cases, many of the critical parameters in these models are unknown and must be assumed. As such, estimated remaining lives can be overly conservative, potentially leading to unrealistic and short reassessment intervals. This paper describes the fatigue crack growth methodology utilized by Det Norske Veritas (USA), Inc. (DNV), which is based on established fracture mechanics principles. DNV uses the fracture mechanics model in CorLAS™ to calculate stress intensity factors using the elastic portion of the J-integral for either an elliptically or rectangularly shaped surface crack profile. Various correction factors are used to account for key variables, such as strain hardening rate and bulging. The validity of the stress intensity factor calculations utilized and the effect of modifying some key parameters are discussed and demonstrated against available data from the published literature.

Estimation of the Shape Evolution and the Growth History of an Embedded Crack by Fatigue Loading

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koji Gotoh ◽  
Keisuke Harada ◽  
Yosuke Anai
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Crack ◽  
Fatigue Crack Growth ◽  
Crack Growth ◽  
Fatigue Cracks ◽  
Estimation Method ◽  
Estimation Procedure ◽  
Fatigue Loading ◽  
Shape Evolution ◽  
Crack Growth Behaviour ◽  
Embedded Crack

Fatigue life estimation for planar cracks, e.g. part-through surface cracks or embedded cracks is very important because most of fatigue cracks found in welded built-up structures show planar crack morphologies. Fatigue crack growth behaviour of an embedded crack in welded joints is investigated in this study. The estimation procedure of crack shape evolution for an embedded crack is introduced and validation of the estimation procedure of fatigue crack growth based on the numerical simulation of fatigue crack growth with EDS concept for an embedded crack is performed. The validity of the proposed shape evolution estimation method and the fatigue crack growth simulation based on the fracture mechanics approach with EDS concept are confirmed.

A Method for the Analysis of the Growth of Short Fatigue Cracks

1995 ◽  
Vol 117 (4) ◽  
pp. 408-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. McEvily ◽  
Y.-S. Shin
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Fatigue Crack ◽  
Fatigue Crack Growth ◽  
Crack Growth ◽  
Fatigue Cracks ◽  
Material Constant ◽  
Plastic Zone Size ◽  
Surface Cracks ◽  
Zone Size ◽  
Short Cracks

A method for the analysis of the fatigue crack growth rate for short cracks has been developed and is applied to the case of fatigue crack growth of short surface cracks in a 1045 carbon steel. The method entails three modifications to standard LEFM procedures. These modifications include the use of a material constant to bridge between smooth and cracked specimen behavior, consideration of the plastic zone size to crack length ratio, and incorporation of the development of crack closure. Comparisons are made between calculations based upon this approach and experimental data.

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