Entries by Structural Integrity

News & Views, Volume 48 | SI:FatiguePro Version 4.0 Crack Growth Module – Application Case Study Complex Multi-Cycle Nuclear Transients

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By: Curt Carney As plants enter their initial or subsequent license renewal period one of the requirements is to show that fatigue (including environmental effects) is adequately managed.  For some locations in pressurized water reactors (PWRs), it can be difficult to demonstrate an environmental fatigue usage factor less than the code allowable value of 1.0.  […]

News & Views, Volume 48 | Metallurgical Lab Case Study – Grade 91 Elbows Cracked Before Installation

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By:  Wendy Weiss and Terry Totemeier Structural Integrity (SI) personnel visited a power plant construction site to examine four Grade 91 elbows (ASTM A234-WP91 20-inch OD Sch. 60) that were found to contain axially oriented surface indications. The elbows had not yet been installed. The indications were initially noticed during magnetic particle testing (MT) after […]

News & Views, Volume 48 | Bypass Line Spray Issues

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By:  Ben Ruchte and Kane Riggenbach To provide operating flexibility, combined cycle plants are typically equipped with bypass systems (high pressure routing steam to cold reheat and hot reheat routing steam to the condenser).  These bypass systems include conditioning valves designed to reduce steam pressures followed by outlet desuperheaters which inject water to reduce steam […]

News & Views, Volume 48 | Considerations of Pin Cracking in Finger Pin Turbine Blade Attachments

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By:  Cliff Lange and Matt Freeman OEMs recommend periodic inspection of pinned finger turbine blade attachments for detection of service-induced damage as part of ongoing rotor maintenance activity.  This article provides an example where ultrasonic inspection detected cracking in several pins of finger attachments and outlines an engineering assessment to support continued operation and identify […]

News & Views, Volume 48 | SI Field Service Quality and Efficiency Solutions

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By:  Robert Chambers and Trey Rippy To help meet demanding outage schedules and stay within lean operation and maintenance budgets, Structural Integrity Associates, Inc. (SI) has implemented several new field data collection and analysis tools that enable delivery of a higher-quality final inspection product in a more efficient manner. These include customized software tools for […]

News & Views, Volume 48 | Post Seismic Certification: What Do Manufacturers Do to Keep Their Products TRU Listed?

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By:  Galen Reid and Katie Braman How does TRU or the public know the manufacturer is continuing to produce a product that complies with the certified construction and configuration without retesting periodically? Certification of products to withstand extreme event loading can open many opportunities for manufacturers to sell high value products when others have a […]

News & Views, Volume 48 | SI Supports Parsons’ “DetectWise” Modular COVID Test Facility

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By:  Zach Withall and Matthew Naugle, PE The health facility is designed to fully separate patients from medical workers, protecting both parties and minimizing the PPE required to operate the suite. COVID-19 has presented humanity with unprecedented challenges.  As economies reopen, solutions are needed that allow businesses to operate while protecting the health, safety, and […]

News & Views, Volume 48 | Implementation of Material Verification – In Support of Mega-Rule Part 1 Requirements

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By:  Roger Royer, Scott Riccardella, and David Babbitt Operators are now required to define sampling programs and perform destructive (laboratory) or non-destructive testing to capture this information and take additional actions when inconsistent results are identified until a confidence level of 95% is achieved. Various sections of Mega-Rule 1 require operators of natural gas transmission […]

News & Views, Volume 48 | Strategic Evaluation of MAOP – Reconfirmation Plans and Options

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By:  Scott Riccardella and Bruce Paskett On October 1, 2019, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published amendments to 49 CFR Parts 191 and 192 in the Federal Register issuing the Pipeline Safety: Safety of Gas Transmission Pipelines:  MAOP Reconfirmation, Expansion of Assessment Requirements, and Other Related Amendments Final Rule  (Final Rule).  The […]

News & Views, Volume 48 | Optimizing Cathodic Protection Commitments Aging Management Program (AMP XI.M42)

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By: Shane McManus and Mark Jaeger License renewal applications (LRAs) often involve commitments to future actions.  These can be classified into one of three categories: appropriate, overcommitment, and ambiguous implementation.  Appropriate commitments include those actions that are expected by the NRC (such as those explicitly identified in the GALL(1) and GALL-SLR(2)) as well as some […]