Fatigue cracks and failures in cement industry, shipbuilding and power plant facilities

In spite of numerous and expensive researches in the field of fatigue, cracks and failures caused by fatigue occur every day in all fields of human activity. The paper presents some typical fatigue damages in industry and transport. Fatigue failure of the main engine lateral support (at the bulk carrier), fatigue cracks at the large portal crane, fatigue cracks together with failures in the large gear wheel of cement mill, and fatigue failure of the reversible turbine rotor, are described herein. The complete damage analysis (numerical and/or experimental stress distribution evaluation, fractography, assessment of remaining service life, etc.) showed that design errors have caused all of these, and many other cracks and failures. The analysis confirmed the possibility of crack and failure repairs, what has been done successfully.