Abstract
The paper starts by considering, in general, the problem of evaluating residual life of structures and equipment that may have reached or exceeded the end of their design life. Whilst the problem is encountered in many industrial sectors, references available for dealing with it are often limited. Selected European references potentially suitable for this purpose for steel structures and cranes are presented and discussed in this paper together with some of the practical problems faced by the engineers responsible for evaluating the residual life of equipment and structures. This includes an overview of FEM Crane Codes and European EN standards for steel structures and cranes, their methods for assessing fatigue lives and their application to evaluating residual lives. A procedure developed in France and in use for such purpose since 2003, an approach developed in Italy and approach taken by ISO 12482 standard are all reviewed next. Finally, the paper presents a general methodology for the assessment and management of residual life of existing equipment and structures that has been developed by CETIM (Technical Institute for Mechanical Industry) and concludes with an example of its application to an AIRBUS load manipulating device.
Highlights
Its main intention is to ensure a common safety level in machinery placed on the market or put in service in all EU member states and to ensure freedom of movement within the European Union by stating that “member states shall not prohibit, restrict or impede the placing on the market and/or putting into service in their territory of machinery which complies with [the] Directive”. The particularity of such Directives is that they set the basic requirements or Essential Health and Safety Requirements (EHSR) that apply to all manufacturers who wish to put their products on the market of the European Union
Most of them were linked to old cranes; at that time more than 70% of the port cranes were more than 20 yr old
In Italy, even if this decree has not resulted in a specific methodology as in France for port cranes, the national authorities have decided on a special measure for old cranes, making the evaluation of their residual life mandatory
Summary
When an existing equipment or a structure has reached or exceeded its design lifetime presumed by the manufacturer, its owner has legitimately to ask himself crucial questions, such as: – Can I still continue to use it as it is and without danger? – And, if so, for how much longer?. Most of the rules or standards dedicated to the design of structures or machines are only intended for the determination of lifetime, at a design stage and not all of them can be applied to the case of an old equipment, for which an extension of the service lifetime is sought because keeping the equipment in operation may be desirable, e.g. for economic reasons. Such extension may increase the risk of fatigue failures. Cases of cranes and runways are discussed, and an illustration is given of an application to load manipulating devices for AIRBUS
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