RESEARCH ON BOLT FAILURES IN WOLF CREEK STRUCTURAL PLATE PIPE /WITH DISCUSSION/
AN INVESTIGATION OF HIGH STRENGTH BOLTS IN 3/8 INCH THICK STRUCTURAL PLATE WAS UNDERTAKEN FOLLOWING DISCOVERY OF AN 18.5 FOOT DIAMETER PIPE FAILURE AT WOLF CREEK, MONTANA, IN JULY 1964. FRACTURED A 490 BOLTS WERE FOUND TO MEET ASTM HARDNESS AND CHEMISTRY REQUIREMENTS. STATIC LOAD SEAM STRENGTH TESTS ON 3/4 INCH DIAMETER A 325 AND A 490 BOLTS IN 3/8 INCH CORRUGATED STRUCTURAL PLATE WERE MADE TO DETERMINE EFFECTS OF INITIAL BOLT TORQUE, REDUCED TEMPERATURES, FREEZING WATER, AND PRYING ACTION FROM PLATE BENDING. NO EVIDENCE OF BOLT OR JOINT WEAKNESS WAS OBSERVED. FURTHER RESEARCH AND TESTS SHOWED THAT A 490 BOLTS COMPARABLE TO WOLF CREEK BOLTS /R SUB C 38/ WERE SUSCEPTIBLE TO HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS REQUIRED FOR CATHODIC CHARGING OF ATOMIC HYDROGEN WERE PRESENT IN THE WOLF CREEK PIPE. SUSTAINED BOLT STRESS LEVELS ABOVE A THRESHOLD VALUE APPARENTLY LED TO HYDROGEN- STRESS CRACKING. HYDROGEN-STRESS CRACKING OFFERS A LOGICAL EXPLANATION OF THE FIELD FAILURE. /AUTHOR/
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Supplemental Notes:
- Paper sponsored by Committee on Culverts and Culvert Pipe and presented at the 45th Annual Meeting. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
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Authors:
- Macadam, John N
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Discussers:
- Rumpf, John L
- Spangler, M G
- Macadam, John N
- Eagle, Harold L
- Publication Date: 1966
Media Info
- Media Type: Print
- Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
- Pagination: pp 24-42
- Monograph Title: Pipe culverts
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Serial:
- Highway Research Record
- Issue Number: 144
- Publisher: Highway Research Board
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Bolts; Cathodes; Cathodic protection; Chemical properties; Crash investigation; Embrittlement; Failure; Hardness tests; Performance; Pipe; Static loads; Strength of materials; Stresses; Structural plates; Structures; Studies; Temperature; Testing; Torque
- Uncontrolled Terms: Field performance; Hydrogen embrittlement; Plates
- Old TRIS Terms: Atomic hydrogen; Charging; High strength bolts; Static loading
- Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Geotechnology; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Materials; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00204070
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS, TRB
- Created Date: Dec 2 1994 12:00AM