Welding assessment of a damaged crane pedestal of a container ship

A structural integrity assessment of a damaged crane pedestal/column of a container ship is presented. Crane cabins and pedestal/columns are subjected to fatigue coupled with sudden overloads during cargo operations and corrosion effects due to sea environment. Significant number of surface cracks was detected around the pedestal/column, at inner and outside of the crane foundation, close to the main weld seam and, in consequence, the ship-owner ordered a survey. The main weld seam and the sites where cracks were found are evaluated in the present study. For the purpose, the sample material (hot rolled steel plate and upper ring) of the pedestal was provided by the shipyard and macro and micrographics were observed. Results did not show any cracks, although they have been found by the NDT technical services of the shipyard which have decided to remove them by the grinding process. The weld seam did not also show relevant defects, whereby the replacing of the pedestal/column by a new one would not had been necessary. Regardless of some occasional overloads, the surface cracks found on the pedestal/column could be a consequence of the normal operation conditions of the crane during the last 5 years and also due to poor maintenance.