SAFETY ASSESSMENT OF STEEL STRUCTURE COMPONENT WITH CRACK DEFECTS USING SINTAP-FAD METHOD

During the construction and operation period, the induced crack defects in the structural components of steel structures may propagate and eventually result in the fracture failure of the structural components. Therefore, it is of great significance to assess the safety of structural components containing crack defects. Firstly, the principle of failure assessment diagram (FAD) and K_IC fracture criterion were introduced, which are based on fracture mechanics, and on the assessment method of SINTAP. Then, the experimental methods for obtaining material parameters required by SINTAP-FAD assessment procedure, and the calculation methods of fracture mechanics parameters and plastic collapse loads of the flawed components, were presented. Finally, the safety assessment of crack defects within the butt welds on large-size plate girders of boiler steel structures from two power stations were conducted, using K_IC fracture criterion and SINTAP-FAD method. The results show that the proposed method based on SINTAP-FAD provides an effective and practical approach for the safety assessment of structural components with cracks or crack-like defects in steel structures. Further research should be dedicated to the assessment method considering the multiple-crack coupling effect.