2.

FAILURE OF THE BWE PORTAL TIE –

ROD SUPPORT

Portal tie – rods supports, Figs. 1 and 2, enable the

geometric configuration of the BWE superstructure. By
means of tie – rods (rope diameter 110 mm) they accept a
part of the bucket wheel boom (BWB) and portal loads
and transmit it onto the counterweight arm. Load transfer
from the portal tie – rod yokes onto the eyes of the
support, Fig. 3, is realized by pins.
The tension force of the portal tie – rod is done for four
characteristic load cases prescribed by German code BG
60:
 Load case (LC) H1, tie – rod force 2980 kN;
GEOMETRY OF THE SUBSTRUCTURE  LC H2, tie – rod force3755 kN;
AS A CAUSE OF BUCKET WHEEL  LC HZ1 tie – rod force 4040 kN;
EXCAVATOR FAILURE  LC HZS1, tie – rod force 4260 kN.

Srđan BOŠNJAK Portal tie – rod

support
Nenad ZRNIĆ
Nebojša GNJATOVIĆ

Abstract: This paper is dedicated to the researches of

state stress of particular substructures of bucket wheel
excavators (BWEs). The two characteristic examples are
shown: portal tie – rod support and slewing platform.
Based on the FEA are found the pronounced stress
concentrations of the mentioned substructures, caused by
the inadequate shaping. Failure in the portal tie – rod
support caused the collapse of the BWE Sch Rs 1760.
Cracks in the slewing platform of the BWE SRs 1200 are
repaired and the reconstruction is done. The verification Portal tie – rod
of the calculation results is performed by measurements
in the real operating conditions.

Key words: bucket wheel excavator, structure geometry,

failure, FEM
Fig. 1. Bucket wheel excavator Sch Rs 1760

Vertical plate Left eye (LE)

1. INTRODUCTION

Exploitation of BWEs is realized in the heavy duty

conditions. Their structures are exposed to the action of
Lengthwise
dynamic loads. The complex functional requirements and
supporting
character of working loads requires subtle shaping of
particular substructures. The non-compliance in the plate
analysis of loads and stress-deformation states inevitably
causes failures which are followed by high direct and
indirect costs.
The paper [4] deals with the critical analysis of defining
loads of BWE due to the resistance-to-excavation
presented in [7 – 13]. Furthermore, the original procedure
and the in-house software is developed based on the
researches done at the University of Belgrade – Faculty of Right eye (RE)
Mechanical Engineering. The validation of procedure is
shown in [6], and it is used during realization of
researches presented in [1,2,3,5]. Front support
Hereafters are given short descriptions of failures of
characteristic substructures of BWE substructures caused
by their inadequate geometry. Fig. 2. Main parts of the portal tie – rod support

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 Eye

Portal tie – rod

Yoke

Fig. 3. Connection between portal tie – rod yoke and

support eye

The stress – strain state analysis is performed by using

FEM. 3D model of the portal tie – rod support, Fig. 2, is
discretized by the 10 – node parabolic tetrahedron, Fig. 4.

Fig. 5. Uniaxial stress field of the portal tie-rod support

structure: (a) right side view; (b) left side view [1]
Fig. 4. FEM model of the portal tie rod – support [1]

Maximum values of uniaxial stress (calculated according Lengthwise

to the Huber – Hencky – von Mises hypothesis) are supporting plate
obtained in the zone of the connection between left eye
and lengthwise supporting plate, Fig. 5.
Based on the FEA results for the portal tie-rod support
structure, it is conclusive that [1] :
 The stress state of the right eye is more convenient
than the stress state of the left eye, Fig. 5, due to the
influence of the front support;
 Due to the prompt incursion of the lengthwise
supporting plate into the eye structure and proximity
of the location when the load is applied, the
pronounced stress concentration in the structure of the
left eye occurs, Fig. 6;
 The stress state level of the left eye is very high; The Fig. 6. Concentration of stress in the zone of incursion of
values of uniaxial stresses are exceeding the yield the lengthwise supporting plate into the eye structure
stress;
 The size of the high stress state zone is expanding The high stress state of the designed support structure of
with the increase of load intensity, Fig. 7. portal tie-rods, conjugated with the detrimental effects of

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the welding seam (not welded through root, porosity,
inclusions) perpendicular to the force direction and Technological hole
dynamic character of loads, is the principal reason of end
eye connection failure, Fig. 8, and BWE failure.

Bottom
Rear pylon plate

Fig. 10. Cracks in the structure of BWE slewing platform

(internal designation G III)

Fig. 7. The size of high stress state zone: (a) LC H1; (b)
LC HZS1 [1]

Crack Yoke
Inside Rear pylon
surfaces

Broken-away Broken-away
part of LE part of RE Fig. 11. Cracks in the structure of BWE slewing platform
(internal designation G VI)
Fig. 8. Broken – away part of the portal – tie rod support FEA is performed on the model based on the 3D model of
slewing platform structure, Fig. 12, for the following two
3. FAILURE OF BWE SLEWING PLATFORM cases of load:
BWE SRs 1200, Fig. 9, are used for overburden digging  BWE is out-of-operation;
in the open pit mine ’’KOLUBARA’’. During perennial
 BWE is in operation.
exploitation the cracks in the structures of their slewing
platform occurred. Those cracks are located in the zones
of the rear pylons bottoming, Figs. 10 and 11.

Stays of bucket
wheel boom

Slewing
platform Rear
pylons

Fig. 9. Bucket wheel excavator SRs 1200 Fig. 12. 3D model of the slewing platform structure [3]

137
For the BWE being out-of-operation the slewing platform
load is relevant for the selection of the:
 Structural solution of the repair and reconstruction of
the slewing platform done in field conditions Figs. 13
and 14;
 Manner of the superstructure supporting during repair
works and reconstruction, Fig. 15.
Fig. 13. View of the reconstructed zone of the slewing
platform [2]
Repaired
cracks
Closed
technogical
hole
Fig. 14. Closed technological hole and repaired cracks
Counterweight
arm stanchion
Hydraulic jacks
Fig. 15. Supporting of the counterweight arm stanchion
Based on the results of FEA, it is conclusive that the basic
cause of cracks occurrence is the high-level stress state in
the bottoming zone of rear pylons. That is predominantly
the consequence of stress concentration caused by the
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influence of the technological hole and the unfavorable
location and shape of the end of the bottom plate
strengthening. Maximum values of the von Mises stress in
the critical zone (320 MPa) are higher than the allowed
stress (240 MPa, LC H) prescribed by the code DIN
22261-2. Furthermore, the intensive change of the
deformation field in the zone of technological hole is
observed [3].
The FEA results of the reconstructed slewing platform
structure under the action of the relevant working load
(LC H), Fig. 16, point to the significant reduction of stress
state level in the zone of end of bottom plate
strengthening (≈ 42 % in relation to the original structure
of slewing platform), followed by the substantially
smooth change of deformation field. Maximum values of
von Misses stress in reconstructed slewing platform,
which occur in the zone of mounted lamellas, are lower
than the allowed values [3].
σeq,max=18,7 kN/cm2
Fig. 16. Distribution of von Misses stresses in the zone of
the end of the bottom plate strengthening
Fig. 17. Strain gauges in the measuring position 9 –
intermediate inner lamella [2]
The method of strain gauges is used for the measurement,
Fig. 17. The signal of change of the relative deformation
of strain gauges is processed by the multi-channel
electronic PC measurement-data acquisition unit SPIDER
8 (HBM). Measurement software for HBM devices
CATMAN EXPRESS is used for measurement data
acquisition using a computer. The measured values are
recorded with the rate of 200 samples/s, without filtering
[2].
Experimental stress analysis of the reconstructed structure
of the slewing platform is executed in the BWE real
working conditions, in the open pit mine “Kolubara B”.
Maximum measured values of the stress components σx,
σy and τxy (position of axis x and y of the global
coordinate system of FE model is shown in Fig. 17), Fig.
18, as well as the maximum value of von Mises stress
(20,5 kN/cm2), are lower than the allowed values against
the code DIN 22261-2 (24,0 kN/cm2) for the considered
LC (H) [2].
4. CONCLUSION
The high stress state of support structure of portal tie-
rods, caused by dominantly bad shaping, is the principal
Fig. 18. Change of stresses in the column support zone obtained by experimental analysis (1 – Start of operation, BW is
rotating while BWB is in idle mode; 2 – Left rotation of BWB; 3 – Right rotation of BWB; 4 - Left rotation of BWB: 5 -
BW is rotating while BWB is in idle mode: 6 – End of operation (natural vibrations of structure.)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work is a contribution to the Ministry of Science and
Technological Development of Serbia funded project TR
14052.
REFERENCES
[1] BOŠNJAK, S., ZRNIĆ, N., SIMONOVIĆ, A.,
MOMČILOVIĆ, D., Failure analysis of the end eye
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[1].
Based on the comparative analysis of FEA of the stress-
strain state of the slewing platform original structure and
several alternatives of its structural improvement, the
following is performed:
 Structural solution of the slewing platform structure
which is satisfying the criteria of strength and elastic
stability, as well as the requirement that the
reconstruction has to be done without superstructure
dismantling;
 Technology of replacement and repair of seriously
damaged parts of the slewing platform.
Reconstruction of the slewing platform structure by subtle
strengthening of the bottom plate in the bottoming zone of
the superstructure rear pylons has achieved the following
effects [2]:
 Considerably lower level of stress state;
 Significantly smoother change of the deformation
field in the critical zone.
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