Fracturesontherightsideofthe

AlexanderL.Kiellandrig
TheAlexanderL.KiellandwasaNorwegiansemisubmersible
drillingrigthatcapsizedwhilstworkingintheEkofiskoilfieldin
March1980killing123people.Thecapsizingwastheworst
disasterinNorwegianwaterssinceWorldWarII.Therig,located
approximately320kmeastfromDundee,Scotland,wasowned
bytheStavangerDrillingCompanyofNorwayandwasonhireto
theU.S.companyPhillipsPetroleumatthetimeofthedisaster.In
drivingrainandmist,earlyintheeveningof27March1980more
than200menwereoffdutyintheaccommodationonthe
AlexanderL.Kielland.Thewindwasgustingto40knotswith
wavesupto12mhigh.Therighadjustbeenwinchedawayfrom
theEddaproductionplatform.Minutesbefore18:30thoseon
boardfelta'sharpcrack'followedby'somekindoftrembling'.
Suddenlytherigheeledover30andthenstabilised.Fiveofthe
sixanchorcableshadbroken,withoneremainingcable
preventingtherigfromcapsizing.Thelistcontinuedtoincreaseandat18.53theremaininganchor
cablesnappedandtherigturnedupsidedown.
AyearlaterinMarch1981,theinvestigativereport
[23]
concludedthattherigcollapsedowingtoa
fatiguecrackinoneofitssixbracings(bracingD6),whichconnectedthecollapsedDlegtotherestof
therig.Thiswastracedtoasmall6mmfilletweldwhichjoinedanonloadbearingflangeplatetothis
D6bracing.Thisflangeplateheldasonardeviceusedduringdrillingoperations.Thepoorprofileof
thefilletweldcontributedtoareductioninitsfatiguestrength.Further,theinvestigationfound
considerableamountsoflamellartearingintheflangeplateandcoldcracksinthebuttweld.Cold
cracksinthewelds,increasedstressconcentrationsduetotheweakenedflangeplate,thepoorweld
profile,andcyclicalstresses(whichwouldbecommonintheNorthSea),seemedtocollectivelyplaya
roleintherig'scollapse.
Others
The1862HartleyCollieryDisasterwascausedbythefractureofasteamenginebeamandkilled
220people.
The1919BostonMolassesDisasterhasbeenattributedtoafatiguefailure.
The1948NorthwestAirlinesFlight421crashduetofatiguefailureinawingsparroot
The1957"Mt.Pinatubo",presidentialplaneofPhilippinePresidentRamonMagsaysay,crashed
duetoenginefailurecausedbymetalfatigue.
The1965capsizeoftheUK'sfirstoffshoreoilplatform,theSeaGem,wasduetofatigueinpartof
thesuspensionsystemlinkingthehulltothelegs.
The1968LosAngelesAirwaysFlight417lostoneofitsmainrotorbladesduetofatiguefailure.
The1968MacRobertsonMillerAirlinesFlight1750thatlostawingduetoimproper
maintenanceleadingtofatiguefailure
The1977DanAirBoeing707crashcausedbyfatiguefailureresultinginthelossoftheright
horizontalstabilizer
The1980LOTFlight7thatcrashedduetofatigueinanengineturbineshaftresultinginengine
disintegrationleadingtolossofcontrol
The1985JapanAirlinesFlight123crashedaftertheaircraftlostitsverticalstabilizerdueto
faultyrepairsontherearbulkhead.
Fatigue(material)Wikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatigue_(material)
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