Materials Science and Root-Cause Failure Analysis

DEI has extensive experience in both materials science and root-cause failure analysis. Material science projects typically focus on electric power plants and offshore oil structures—although we have also worked in this area for the U.S. government, the chemical process industry, and the mining industry. Projects often involve materials selection and design, assessment of mechanical properties and microstructural relationships, crystal chemistry, strengthening, alloying, destructive and non-destructive evaluation, and phase equilibria.

Some examples of our work in this area:

Materials handbook for nuclear plants
Pipeline failure analysis
Mooring system chain failure

Materials Handbook for Nuclear Plants
As industries mature, it is vitally important to transfer key knowledge from the engineers involved in early industrial infrastructure development to the next generation. With the knowledge and experience gained by their predecessors, younger engineers can avoid making many mistakes in materials selection and application that have expensive consequences. DEI, under sponsorship of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), prepared an eighteen-chapter materials handbook that provides this valuable information.

Pipeline Failure Analysis
Several years ago, an underground pipeline owned by a local utility ruptured, leaking fuel oil into a nearby wetland. DEI assisted in the root-cause evaluation by determining the stresses caused by buckling of the pipe due to loss of support from the surrounding soil in a specific location. Results of the analysis were used to identify other locations in the buried pipe that might also be susceptible to the same type of failure.

Mooring Chain Failure
Recently, several mooring chains on a buoy serving an offshore oil field failed much earlier than anticipated. DEI helped the designer identify the root cause of the failure and then confirm the root cause by developing a computer model of the chain, including the effects of rolling contact between adjacent links. In addition, the model was used to assess the degree of improvement expected from a modified design.