Investigation of Fracture in the T1 Tanker Capitan

摘要

It is evident that a number of factors contributed to this casualty, and that no single factor, by itself, was sufficient to cause the failure. The following preventive measures are suggested: (1) Steel which is notch sensitive or subject to excessive strain aging should not be used even for non-strength members attached to the hull structure by welding, since cracks originating in such members may propagate into the hull structure through the welds. (2) In future construction, small welds to heavy plate should be avoided unless adequate precautions are taken, such as preheating. The possibilities of low temperature brazing or other methods of joining for small, lightly loaded attachments such as clips, should be investigated. (3) Adjacent welds, other than those occuring in tee and lap joints, should not be placed so that a notch is formed between them, since even a minor mechanical notch superimposed on a metallurgical notch resulting from the welds may cause serious stress concentration.