A Critical Surcey of Brittle Failure in Carbon Plate Steel Structures Other Than Ships

摘要

The failure of ships at sea and at dockside during World War H brought the prob¬lem of brittle fracture into sharp focus. Data from ship failures have been well correlated and as a result much has been learned from research stimulated thereby. No-similar correlation on nonship failure data exists, and this survey was therefore undertaken in order to supplement the study of ship failures. A total of 64 structural failures, plus failures in gas transmission lines, was studied. These failures occurred in both riveted and welded structures such as tanks bridges pressure vessels, a smoke stack, a penstock, power shovels, as well as gas transmission lines. It is shown that the history of brittle failure extends hack at least to 1879. It is concluded that:(1) Brittle failure in nonship structures is the same phenomenon as occurs in ships:(2) brittle failure occurs in many types of nonship structures:(3) brittle fractures can cross riveted joints; (4) there is no evidence to show that the percentage incidence of brittle failure has either decreased or increased with the advent of welding: