One type of steel item was fabricated in two separate locations by a client company. The item consisted of pieces of steel rectangular hollow section (RHS) joined by fillet welds. Durability testing of the items, which involved cyclic loading until failure, showed that those fabricated at location 1 (L1) had superior performance to those manufactured at location 2 (L2). The client wanted to understand the reasons for the relative differences in performance.
Case Studies Background An oil & gas company operated a generator fleet of around 60 6-cylinder, 12.5 litre, turbocharged and aftercooled diesel engines. The fuel used in the engines was crude oil. Numerous inlet valves were reported to have failed by losing their ability to seal the combustion chamber. Initial Hypothesis There was some synergistic …
A steel rail in a rail system servicing Central Queensland mine sites failed in service. The rail system in which the failure occurred comprised primarily 60 kg/m rail with approximately 1000 km of total track length. The failure manifested as a transverse fracture, necessitating removal and replacement of the failed section.
Case Studies Background A recently installed 250 mm diameter electrofusion (EF) welded coupling in a facility’s fire system was reported to have been leaking. Initial Hypothesis A welding defect was present from the time of installation. Data Collection The fitting was cut on a longitudinal cross section to permit examination of the weld interface. It …
