SIMULATED PERFORMANCE TESTING FOR SHIP STRUCTURE COMPONENTS

In this report, the results obtained from wide-plate tension tests undertaken for the purpose of simulating the full-scale performance of steel used in ships hulls are presented. Information as to initiation and propagation of fast fracture in wide steel plates was first obtained through a series of nineteen tests performed on a newly developed wide-plate testing machine. The test material was the pressure vessel steel, ASTM A212 Grade B in 3/4-inch thickness. This information, and the techniques developed, were then applied to a total of eighteen tests using ABS Class C steel, having a thickness of 1-3/8-inch. All specimens were 10 feet wide and 3 were stiffened longitudinally. Test temperatures ranged from -100 degrees F to a room temperature ambient of plus 75 degress F. A fatigue crack or a brittle bead was used as a crack initiator and large residual stresses were introduced. In general, the tests indicated that, at sufficiently low temperatures, a fast fracture could be produced in ASTM A212 Grade B and ABS Class C steels if a sufficiently sharp initiation site was located within an area of relatively high applied and/or residual stress. Based on the results of the tests conducted, it is concluded that the ABS Class C material is not sensitive to fast fracture at temperatures well below service tmeperatures. Therefore, this material may be used to effect a fracture safe design for modern ship hulls.

• Corporate Authors:

  Southwest Research Institute

  6220 Culebra Road, P.O. Drawer 28510
  San Antonio, TX  United States  78228-0510

  Ship Structure Committee

  National Academy of Science, 2101 Constitution Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20418
• Authors:
  • Sherman, R
• Publication Date: 1970

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 64 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cracking; Hulls; Plating (Ships); Tensile properties
• Identifier Terms: Ship Structure Committee
• Uncontrolled Terms: Crack propagation; Hull plating
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00010322
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: SSC-204
• Contract Numbers: NObs 92294
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 23 1971 12:00AM