Considerations on the fatigue assessment methods of floating-structure details

The assessment of the finite element analysis results on stiffened plating structures is not straightforward because of the stress singularities that are inherent in the overall geometry. Some guidance is available but it is generally founded on limited comparisons with experiments rather than on an overall analysis of the problem, and the guidance is almost certainly not generally applicable. Fracture mechanics finite element methods are very useful but generally provide little understanding of the behaviour and a very limited basis for checking the quality of the results. This paper reports some work carried out recently to try to provide an understanding of the nature of the singularities in these details and some simple ‘rules of thumb’. This provides a direct calculation method for fracture mechanics stress intensity factors and stress concentration factors for fatigue analysis based on the S–N approach (where S is the stress and N is the number of cycles to failure). By providing a better understanding of the nature of the stress fields, it also provides a good foundation for a finite element analysis of these details. This paper concentrates on the analysis of a simple planar right-angled cruciform corner with no bending, overlapping plates or weld reinforcement geometry. Also the effects of the mean stress and the residual stress are ignored. Some initial insights into the stress field are studied when the detail is not planar; this gives some further understanding of the behaviour of real structure details.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1177/1475090212448305
• Record URL:
  http://pim.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/227/3/284
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/14750902
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications, Ltd.
• Authors:
  • Xu, Li
  • Lou, Benqiang
  • Barltrop, Nigel
• Publication Date: 2013-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References;
• Pagination: pp 284-294
• Serial:
  • Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part M: Journal of Engineering for the Maritime Environment
  • Volume: 227
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: Sage Publications, Incorporated
  • ISSN: 1475-0902
  • EISSN: 2041-3084
  • Serial URL: http://pim.sagepub.com/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Fatigue strength; Finite element method; Floating structures; Fracture mechanics; Oil tankers; Plating (Ships); Stress cracking; Structural design
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01499477
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 1 2013 1:46PM