Failures in pressure retaining components - our experiences

Abstract

Pressure vessels and pipelines are important engineering components in most of the chemical, petrochemical and power plants. Any unforeseen failure in these components may prove costly not only in terms of money and man-hours but also in terms of human lives. Detailed failure analysis helps in understanding the root cause and adopting remedial measures to avoid future failures of similar nature. The paper describes a few case studies detailing comprehensive investigations on pressure vessels, pipeline and fittings, undertaken by the authors. Feedback from these analyses led to improvement in design of the components, use of appropriate materials of construction, changes in fabrication procedures and adequate quality assurance methodologies.