Energy approach to assessing corrosion damaged structures Available to Purchase

Unclad steel structures in chemical plant are susceptible to severe damage by corrosion. Their safety is dependent on effective inspection and maintenance. However, corrosion may occur in unexpected or concealed locations. A method for identifying the most critical members is proposed so that they may be inspected more carefully. The method is based on finding the sequence of damaged members that, if destroyed, would cause collapse but would require the least amount of energy to do so. A systematic search procedure is used, similar to shortest route algorithms in traffic engineering. The procedure is incorporated within a conventional finite element program, and therefore a wide range of structural forms may be analysed. It is shown that slender diagonal bracing members are the most vulnerable.