Fracture Control Plan
Fracture Control Plan
(OP)
I wrote a QC manual for AISC SImple bridge certification and was preparing for that audit, but found out I had to upgrade to Major bridge with a Fracture critical endorsement. I have no problem updating the manual to encompass the few changes between Simple and Major, but writting a Fracture control plan is presenting a problem. For instance, I am not sure what format to take, and what things HAVE to be in it. I realize there are a lot of SHALL and WILL (s) outlined in the subclause 12, so which ones do I encompass and undertake. It says this starts with and is mainly focused on design. We don't have that function in house and thus subcontract it out. What do I say about that, just that as part of my subcontracting procedure I will ensure that the design engineer must provide past evidence of fracture critical member design?





RE: Fracture Control Plan
Hg
Eng-Tips policies: FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
RE: Fracture Control Plan
RE: Fracture Control Plan
There are requirements for detailer selection in the AISC cert; you'd have to satisfy those regardless. But those are typically independent of the FCP.
Other than that, you need to see what's different in the welding code between FC & non-FC welding, and make sure that your QCP (or the FCP part of your QCP) addresses how those different requirements are handled.
My personal preference would be for the QCP to address how you shop handles the differences between various requirements--FC vs. non-FC, bridge vs. non-bridge, etc., but that's not currently an AISC requirement. I wish it were; we sometimes run into problems with shops that do a lot of structural work and move a guy over from the structural side of the house to bridge and the guy does something that's normal for structural but a violation for bridge.
Hg
p.s. Did I talk to you on the phone yesterday?
Eng-Tips policies: FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
RE: Fracture Control Plan
RE: Fracture Control Plan
If you have a separate FCP, put a reference to it in the QCP.
(WPS, PQR, LBJ, JFK, DFW, TLA.)
(Sorry, couldn't help it.)
Personally I am not a big fan of going straight to FC with no prior bridge experience. I would rather the fabricator got some practice on redundant structures first and then moved on to the scary stuff. But, again, that is not currently an AISC requirement.
You know that AISC offers coaching & pre-audit kinda stuff (for a fee, of course)? For your first audit in this category I strongly recommend doing that. There are also consulting firms that offer similar services. Get someone to look at your demonstration girder plans.
If you think you'll do TxDOT work rather than just Army Corps of Engineers work, also take a look at this:
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It's the AASHTO/NSBA Steel Bridge Collaboration QC/QA spec. A number of states have adopted it, including your home state. Right now it doesn't follow the same structure as the AISC cert (I believe they're revising it so that it will), but you should make sure that all those ingredients can be found somewhere or other within your QCP (or within other documents referenced from your QCP).
Good luck. When's the audit?
Hg
Eng-Tips policies: FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
RE: Fracture Control Plan
RE: Fracture Control Plan
In fact, in the works right now (a couple of administrative steps from publication but who knows how long that takes) is a joint AISC/SSPC standard for shop painting. Both SPE and QP3 will go away for steel fab shops and be replaced by this joint standard, and shops with AISC fab certification will be audited by AISC, not SSPC. Not sure if something like QP3 will remain for indoor applicators who are not fabricators.
Hg
Eng-Tips policies: FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
RE: Fracture Control Plan
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You should also look at other DOT's to see what they require. As a fabricator, your obligation is to provide what the client requires. The bridge designer identifies the fracture critical members and tension zones of non-FC members. Unless I'm missing something?
RE: Fracture Control Plan
RE: Fracture Control Plan