Fatigue analysis of welded escape stairs​​​​​​​

Fatigue analysis of welded escape stairs

Fatigue occurs when an object is subjected to a repeated load that causes the material's strength to deteriorate. Fatigue failure can occur at significantly lower load levels than the object can withstand if it is loaded on a single occasion. In a welded construction, it is usually the fatigue strength of the welded joint that is the dimensioning factor. Therefore, fatigue is something that should be considered in all welded structures.

Analyzes and loads:

​​​​​​​A customer wanted help performing a fatigue analysis of a welded escape ladder. The escape stairs, which sit up in the engine room of an offshore wind turbine, are exposed to repeated loads in the form of wind, vibrations and operational loads when the stairs are used. The safety margin against fatigue has been calculated according to specified standards at critical points on the structure where a fatigue crack can be expected to appear.

Customer benefit:

The fatigue analysis contributed to the design being able to be improved in a number of areas with particularly vulnerable welds. By using FE calculations instead of testing, the customer was able to save both time and money in the project.