In-field Evaluation of Structural Strength and Reliability Using Advanced Indentation System

Advanced Indentation System을 이용한 현장에서의 구조강도 건전성 평가

For the structural integrity of large and complex structures such as railway vehicle, the in-field diagnosis of mechanical properties of the structures is needed, and especially, the mechanical characteristics of the weldment must be carefully evaluated. But, conventional standard testing methods having destructive procedures are not applicable to in-field assessment of mechanical property variations within weldment because they needs the limitations of specimen size and geometry. In this paper, to overcome this problems, the advanced indentation technique (AIS) is introduced for simple and non-destructive/in-field testing of weldment of industrial structures. This test measures indentation load-depth curve during indentation and analyzes the mechanical properties related to deformation and fracture. First of all, flow properties such as yield strength, tensile strength and work hardening index can be evaluated through the analysis of the deformation behavior beneath the spherical indenter. Additionally, case studies of advanced indentation techniques are introduced.