THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023
Online Webinar
Noon-1:00 pm (1 PDH)
Free to SEAoT Members, $10 for non-members. Registration deadline is noon the day before the event.
Group registrations are available. Pay $25 for up to 5, or $50 for 6 or more. Have one person register, pick the group option, and pay for the group option. After the webinar, email your sign-in sheet to seaothouston@gmail.com.
Topic:
Bulk Dock 2 Ship Loader Instrumentation and Fatigue Analysis
Presenters:
Jeff West, Ph.D., P.E., Associate Principal at Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
Jeremiah Fasl, Ph.D., P.E., Associate Principal at Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
Abstract:
Bulk Dock 2 at the Port of Corpus Christi is an export terminal for dry bulk materials including petroleum coke. The bulk materials are loaded onto moored vessels using a radial ship loader that operates on a turntable. The primary structure of the ship loader is two structural steel plate girders, which are 11.5 feet deep and have an overall length of approximately 211 feet. A shuttle and boom assembly moves along rails on the girders to extend and retract the boom during vessel loading. During a rail replacement project in early 2022, corrosion-induced section loss was observed on the top flanges of both girders, raising questions regarding the possibility of increased stresses in the girders and reduced fatigue life. Due to a lack of documentation on girder loading due to shuttle/boom movement and bulk material during operations, an evaluation approach was developed involving instrumentation of the girders to measure the distribution of stress amplitudes and cycles during vessel loading events. The sensor data were compared to structural models and used to calculate the remaining fatigue life of the girders accounting for the corrosion section loss. The presentation will summarize investigation approach and present findings of the girder fatigue evaluation using the measured strain response.
Bios:
Jeffrey S. West, PhD, PE, FACI
Jeff West is an Associate Principal in Austin office of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. He has more than twenty-five years of experience in structural engineering and materials research and consulting. His primary areas of expertise include the evaluation and strengthening of existing structures, structural testing, durability of concrete structures, post-tensioned structures, and concrete materials. Prior to joining WJE, Dr. West was a professor of civil engineering at the University of Waterloo (Canada) for 15 years. Dr. West is a fellow of the American Concrete Institute and is active on several ACI technical committees.
Jeremiah Fasl, PhD, PE
Jeremiah Fasl is an Associate Principal in Austin office of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. His interests include structural reliability, structural stability, structural health monitoring, and rehabilitation, and he is active on various ACI committees. During his time at the University of Texas, Dr. Fasl worked on a variety of bridge instrumentation and material testing projects. His research focused on estimating the remaining fatigue life in steel connections using field measurements, where he developed instrumentation and analyzed data for bridges and high mast illumination pole.
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