Entries by Structural Integrity

News & Views, Volume 49 | Rapid Assessment of Boiler Tubes Using Guided Wave Testing

By:  Jason Ven Velsor, Roger Royer, and Ben Ruchte Tubing in conventional boilers and heat-recovery steam generators (HRSGs) can be subject to various damage mechanisms.  Under-deposit corrosion (UDC) mechanisms have wreaked havoc on conventional units for the past 40-50 years and have similarly worked their way into the more prevalent combined cycle facilities that employ […]

News & Views, Volume 49 | Piping Fabricated Branch Connections

By:  Ben Ruchte Fabricated branch connections represent a common industry issue in combined cycle plants. Many are vulnerable to early damage development and have experienced failures.  Despite these challenges, a well-engineered approach exists to ensure that the baseline condition is fully documented and a life management plan is put in place to help reduce the […]

News & Views, Volume 49 | Attemperator Monitoring with Wireless Sensors: Risk and Cost Reduction in Real Time

By: Jason Van Velsor, Matt Freeman and Ben Ruchte Installed sensors and continuous online monitoring are revolutionizing how power plants manage assets and risk by facilitating the transformation to condition-based maintenance routines. With access to near real-time data, condition assessments, and operating trends, operators have the opportunity to safely and intelligently reduce operations and maintenance […]

News & Views, Volume 49 | Hydroelectric Penstock Inspection: Field NDE Services

By:  Jason Van Velsor and Jeff Milligan Our talented experts, using the latest technology and methods, deliver unmatched value, actionable information, and engineering knowledge for the management of your most critical assets. Many of the penstocks used in the hydroelectric power industry have been in service for over 50 years.  Often with older components, historical […]

News & Views, Volume 49 | Mission Critical Applications to Support the Mega-Rule

By:  Scott Riccardella, Bruce Paskett, and Steven Biles 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 Part 1 of the Gas Transmission Mega-Rule.  This new regulation is commonly referred to as the Mega-Rule since it represents the […]

News & Views, Volume 49 | PEGASUS: Advanced Tool for Assessing Pellet-Cladding Interaction

By:  Bill Lyon, PE and Michael Kennard PEGASUS provides a fully capable computational environment to solve the unique, detailed 3D analyses required for the evaluation of PCI. In the current economic environment in which nuclear units compete with less costly energy sources, a quicker return to full power correlates to more power generated and increased […]

News & Views, Volume 49 | Digital Elevation Modeling: Support Pressure Tests Records and Reduce MAOP Reconfirmation Costs

By:  Scott Riccardella, Bruce Paskett, and Eric Elder § 192.624(a)(1) of the Mega-Rule 1 requires MAOP Reconfirmation for steel transmission pipe segments if records necessary to establish the MAOP in accordance with § 192.619(a)(2) (e.g. pressure test), including records required by § 192.517(a), are not traceable, verifiable, and complete and the pipeline is located in […]

News & Views, Volume 49 | Code Compliance and the Modular Construction Trend: What Manufacturers Need to Know to Comply with Building Codes

By:  Andy Coughlin, PE, SE The modular construction industry is projected to grow globally at an annual rate of 6.9%, outpacing the growth of traditional construction.1  Modular construction has many advantages over traditional building methods, including improved quality control and shorter project durations. Factory-built systems are constructed in controlled environments with equipment and materials that […]

News & Views, Volume 49 | Autobook: Nuclear Physics Automation Code

By:  Sasan Etemadi, P.E. and Mark Drucker, P.E. The AUTOBOOK code reduces human errors, increases efficiency, and streamlines the reload analysis process AUTOBOOK facilitates plant operation by providing nuclear power plant Reactor Engineers and Reactor Operators with cycle-specific information about the physics characteristics of the reactor core in a core data book document. Structural Integrity […]

News & Views, Volume 49 | The 4th Dimension: Lifecycle Assessment of Critical Structures

By:  Dan Parker, PE By analytically simulating the steps in the construction process, including the sequence of concrete placements, and tracking the history of the material behavior starting from initial placement, the potential for cracking is evaluated by comparing the time dependent stress and strains to the concrete cracking resistance and capacity. Aging Infrastructure Issues […]