Fire damage to A572 Gr 50 plate
Fire damage to A572 Gr 50 plate
(OP)
We built a Penstock that is 25' diameter using 1.250" A572 gr 50 material. Our customer had a fire, Pine 2x4's, that melted the paint off the outside and bubbled the inside. I'm guessing that it burned for approx. 1.5 hours. The tie wire (1/8") on the rebar attached to the Penstock did not show signs of sagging or embrittlement so my best guess is the heat did not reach more than 600°- 700°. I have completed a Rockwell hardness test and the material has not changed hardness at all. What other testing can I perform to make my customer feel comfortable that no degradation in strength has occured due to the fire?
Sam Bruno





RE: Fire damage to A572 Gr 50 plate
The hardness testing would be the obvious sign if the material was subjected to extreme heat from exposure to fire. I would document a good visual inspection to check for bulging or distortion. If none is observed, the documented visual inspection coupled with portable hardness testing performed by a qualified field technician using a procedure should suffice.
RE: Fire damage to A572 Gr 50 plate
Make sure that the technicians that conducts the inspection have the proper certifications. It may sound strange but I saw a very high dollar case turned on the fact that the person who did the visual inspection didn't have a VT qualification.
Did the fire char the paint on the outside?
If so, what color was the char?
RE: Fire damage to A572 Gr 50 plate
Maybe that is a "shade tree mechanic" estimation I've run across somewhere before.
RE: Fire damage to A572 Gr 50 plate
Sam Bruno