Analysis of the fatigue cracks development in crane girders and assessment of their residual life

Abstract

The results of analysis of the residual life of crane girders with operational defects based on numerical studies of the stress-strain state, equations of limiting states, and kinetic dependences of the fatigue crack development, based on the criteria of deformation and fracture mechanics are presented. High level of wear of the fixed capital assets of engineering constructions and metal structures as well as operation of the facilities in beyond-design-basis terms contribute to origination of the emergency situations caused by damage accumulation. Crane girders operated under emergency conditions due to the fatigue cracks of different lengths present in the most dangerous zones of the beam wall with an eccentric application of crane load are studied. The results of the numerical experiment revealed the lines of tension intensity impact at the crack tip appeared at the upper zone of the wall at different values of the loading eccentricity attributed to the rail shift from the vertical axis of the beam. The dependence of the length of the fatigue crack and stress intensity in the crack tip on the number of load cycles of the beam is determined. To assess the bearing capacity of crane girders operated in emergency conditions, it is suggested to use the effective values of the stress intensity factors calculated for the specific loading conditions, taking into account the structural features of the beams, size of the fatigue cracks and their location in the crane girders. Proceeding from the results of analysis the diagrams which provide of the remaining residual life of crane girders with a crack are constructed. Using traditional methods of structure calculation for cyclic fracture toughness we developed and implemented the calculation algorithm for individual lifetime of the crane girders which includes the obligatory analysis of the stress-strain state of the crane girders with a crack at the upper zone of the wall.