Results of fracture mechanics analyses of the ederer cranes in the device assembly

Fracture mechanics analyses were conducted on three critical locations on the lower flange of the load-beam of the Ederer 5 ton and 4 ton cranes in the D.A.F. Facility. Based on these results, it appears that: 1. Propagation of a 5 mm long flaw, previously undetected by non-destructive examination (NDE), to a length sufficient to cause structural failure of either flange, should not occur in at least 100 times the postulated operating scenarios for each crane; 2. Should each crane undergo annual inspection, any surface flaw with a length greater that 20 mm should be removed and repaired by qualified and approved repair procedures