Improving Fracture Resistance in Cold Temperature Applications [N69A]

When structures are exposed to cold temperatures, the likelihood of brittle fracture increases. Too often, the knee-jerk reaction is to demand more notch toughness from the steel and welds in order to provide more resistance to fracture. However, fracture resistance is dependent on many factors beyond the material property of notch toughness. In this presentation, the basics of fracture mechanics are reviewed and 43 ideas are presented that will increase the fracture resistance of structures in cold temperature applications, only one of which involves increased material notch toughness. Case studies are presented that demonstrate how a holistic approach solved fracture problems--without changing the steel notch toughness.

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