The use of fracture mechanics in failure analysis in the offshore diamond mining industry

This paper considers two major failures of offshore diamond mining equipment, which should not have occurred had both fracture mechanics aspects and materials behaviour been more fully understood. The two case studies include (a) failure of a wire rope swivel, and (b) failure of a load cell (used for monitoring rope load). In case (a) the swivel shank had failed in reverse bending fatigue, although it was thought initially to experience only tensile stresses. The linkage system to the haul rope, through a form of clevis plates, led to high bending fatigue stresses, and the failure was exacerbated by inappropriate remedial changes, including poor choice of material, as well as stress concentrating effects induced by a shrink fit stainless steel collar. In case (b), complete collapse of a gantry, sheave wheel system and partial A frame support resulted from the prior brittle failure of the load cell, and this could be attributed to incorrect heat treatment of the load cell material. In both cases quantitative use is made of fracture mechanics in the failure assessment.