Failure analysis case studies II: a sourcebook of case studies selected from the pages of Engineering failure analysis 1997-1999

462 Pages·2001·12.19 MB·English

by  D.R.H. Jones

FAIZURE
ANAZYSIS
CASE
SZZLDIESII
Edited by
D.R.H. Jones
Pergamon

Failure Analysis
Case Studies I1

FAILURE ANALYSIS
CASE STUDIES I1
A sourcebook of case studies selected from the pages of
Engineering Failure Analysis 1997- 1999
Edited by
D.R.H. JONES
Department of Engineering
University of Cambridge, UK
2001
PERGAMON
An imprint of Elsevier Science
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First edition 2001
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PREFACE
It is now three years since Elsevier Science published the first book of Failure Analysis Case
Studies selected fiom volumes 1,2 and 3 of the journal Engineering Failure Analysis. The book
has proved to be a sought-after and widely used source of reference material to help people avoid
or analyse engineering failures, design and manufacture for greater safety and economy, and
assess operating, maintenance and fitness-for-purpose procedures. In the last three years,
Engineering Failure Analysis has continued to build on its early success as an essential medium
for the publication of failure analysis cases studies and papers on the structure, properties and
behaviour of engineering materials as applied to real problems in structures, components and
design.
Failure Analysis Case Studies I1 comprises 40 case studies describing the analysis of real
engineering failures which have been selected from volumes 4, 5 and 6 of Engineering Failure
Analysis. The case studies have been arranged in sections according to the specific type of
failure mechanism involved. The failure mechanisms covered are overload, creep, brittle
fracture, fatigue, environmental attack, environmentally assisted cracking and bearing failures.
The book constitutes a reference set of real failure investigations which should be useful to
professionals and students in most branches of engineering. My sincere thanks go to the authors
of the case studies for finding the time to communicate their experiences to the wider world for
the benefit of us all.
D.R.H. Jones
May 2001

vii
CONTENTS
Preface ......................................................................................................................................................... v
Overload failures
Bursting of a silo
R. Kieselbach .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Shear failure of a road-vehicle steering shaft
J.H. Cleland and D.R.H.Jo nes .................................................................................................................. 1 1
Breakup of the firewall between the B and C modules of the Piper Alpha
platform - I. Analysis by hand calculation
A.C. Palmer ............................................................................................................................................... 19
Failure of a flexible pipe with a concrete liner
M. Talesnick and R. Baker ........................................................................................................................ 3 1
Torsional failure of a wire rope mooring line during installation in deep water
..............................................................................................................................................
C.R. Chaplin 45
Creep failures
Type I11 creep cracking at main steam line welds
K.G. Sedman, J.C.T hornley and R.M. Griffin ......................................................................................... 63
Creep failure of a spray drier
P. Carter .................................................................................................................................................... 73
Catastrophic failure of a polypropylene tank Part I: primary investigation
P.R.L ewis and G.W Weidmann ............................................................................................................... 79
Catastrophic failure of a polypropylene tank Part 11: comparison of the DVS 2205
code of practice and the design of the failed tank
G.W. Weidmann and P.R.L ewis .............................................................................................................. 97
Brittle fracture
Investigation of the MV Kurdistan casualty
S.J. Garwood ........................................................................................................................................... 117
Investigation of failed actuator piston rods
T.F. Riitti and E.J. Wentzel ..................................................................................................................... 139
Premature failure of prestressed steel bars
A. Valiente and M. Elices ....................................................................................................................... 147
Premature fracture of a composite nylon radiator
P.R. Lewis ............................................................................................................................................... 157