Corrosion as a cause of the failure of the pipeline steel supporting structure

The article describes the failure of the steel supporting structure of the pipeline caused by corrosion. The structure in question is a three-span steel bridge with truss girders. The structure was erected in the 1960s and is located above the railway track. Due to the specific shape of the hinges, which join the middle span with the rest of the structure one of them was damaged by corrosion, which caused it to break off. That led to situation where the middle span was retained by only three joints. To achieve proper safety of the structure it was additionally supported and strengthened. Due to the necessity of quick repair (there was a real threat of a collapse), some of the works performed had a provisional character. The article presents a description, detailed causes for failure and all the works, which were carried out in order to protect and repair the structure. The analysis of this case showed that, despite adequate protection of structural elements against corrosion, improper design resulting in retaining water led to serious failure

Laser scanning of a coal power plant steel structure

W pracy przedstawiono zastosowanie skaningu laserowego 3D jako uzupełniającego narzędzia oceny stanu technicznego złożonej stalowej konstrukcji szkieletowej modułu kotłowni elektrowni węglowej. W wyniku znacznego osiadania podłoża wystąpiły uszkodzenia konstrukcji obniżające jej poziom bezpieczeństwa. Do oceny stanu wytężenia i deformacji konstrukcji zastosowano ostatecznie analizę liniowo-sprężystą (LA) oraz analizę geometrycznie i materiałowo nieliniową (GMNA). Wykonano skaning laserowy 3D obejmujący prawie w całości wszystkie elementy konstrukcyjne występujące w modelu numerycznym. W ten sposób uzyskano informację dotyczącą geometrii oraz rzeczywistego stanu deformacji konstrukcji. W pracy porównano teoretyczny kształt deformacji słupów nośnych kotłowni z kształtem ustalonym na podstawie skaningu laserowego. Wprowadzono miarę zróżnicowania obu kształtów pozwalającą na ocenę stopnia ich zgodności.The paper presents the use of 3D laser scanning as a complementary tool for quality assessment of the steel skeletal structure of a coal power plant module. As a result of significant soil subsidence, structural damage occurred that reduced its safety level. Linear elastic analysis (LA) as well as geometrically and materially non-linear analysis (GMNA) were used to assess the state of stresses and deformations of the structure. 3D laser scanning was performed covering almost all of the structural elements appearing in the numerical model. In this way, information on the current structure geometry was obtained, which allowed for a series of comparative analyses. The work summarizes the theoretical state of displacements of the columns with the state established by laser scanning. A measure of the dissimilarity of both shapes was introduced to assess the credibility of the analyzed data

Torsional Stability Assessment of Columns Using Photometry and FEM

This paper presents a numerical analysis of the load-carrying capacity of steel open-section columns of a coal power plant structure. The structure was subjected to soil subsidence, which led to considerable structural deformations and damages. As a result, additional stresses appeared in the structure, and the static scheme of the structure was changed. To assess the influence of structural changes on the safety of the structure, a detailed investigation was necessary. Laser scanning was used to collect information concerning the geometry of structural elements. Results of the scanning were implemented in a numerical model of the structure. A complex finite element method (FEM) shell model of the column in ABAQUS software was developed. Torsional buckling stability analysis of column members was carried out. Different boundary conditions depending on the type of column connections to other elements were considered. Torsional deformations were treated as imperfections. Analysis showed that the connections of bracing elements, e.g., beams in multilevel frame, directly affected the collapse mechanism and load-bearing capacity of the investigated element. Finally, the paper showed that an appropriate change in the connections between the analyzed column and multilevel frame beams prevents the column from twisting, thereby increasing the critical force and load-bearing capacity of the analyzed industrial structure