This article includes several studies and advanced research carried out on the subject of large KANGUR-type port cranes, subjected to regular or interventional maintenance work; besides the beneficial effects for which they were intended, some undesirable effects were detected in terms of affecting safety in exploitation. The purpose of this paper is to identify the risk factors and to offer sustainable solutions for increasing operational safety and service life for the respective equipment, as well as for other similar fields of activity, including oversized structures. Following the theoretical studies and the experimental research carried out in situ that confirmed the validity of the theoretical models used, the article in conclusion provides specific and sustainable solutions as well as new methods of assessment, which combine the positive elements of the usual solutions, but in parallel, allow the elimination of the negative side effects that may occur in time. Hence, the article’s novelties also consist of a new approach to achieve structural interventions, resulting in the increase in the service life, and in parallel with that, the safety in operation of the respective equipment.

This paper introduces a new method for the use of tensor-resistive sensors in large spherical storage tank equipment (over 12,000-mm diameters). We did an experiment with 19 petroleum or ammonia product sphere-shaped storage tanks with volumes of 1000 and 1800 cubic meters, respectively. The existing literature only contains experiments based on sensors for tanks with diameters no larger than 600 mm. Based on a number of resistive strain sensor measurements on large spherical pressurized vessels regarding structural integrity assessment, the present paper is focused on the comparison between "real-life" obtained sensor data versus finite element method (FEM) simulation results. The present paper is structured in three parts and examines innovative directions: the use of the classic tensor-resistive sensors in a new approach concerning large structural equipment; an original 3D modeling method with the help of the FEM; and conclusions with possible implications on the regulations, design, or maintenance as a result of the attempt of mutual validation of the new methods previously mentioned.

Hydraulic cylinders represent the main actuating/positioning element for standalone lifting equipment or equipment for various transport platforms. This type of actuator represents a structural component responsible for the operational safety of the equipment it serves. One of the most common and dangerous reasons concerning the end of life for this equipment is the buckling or loss of stability of the elastic equilibrium shape. This article aims to compare the classical approach of the problem in accordance with the strength of materials theory in relation to the numeric algorithms used in the applications for the analysis of structure behavior and the algorithms that are based on the finite element method. The subject of study is a hydraulic cylinder that is installed in a self-lifting platform and because of the manifestation of the phenomenon under analysis, it has led to a technical accident. For this purpose, an estimation of the value for the buckling critical load of the cylinder assembly was carried out.

Estimating the remaining service life of a forklift for an objective reference is not only a requirement of the applicable legislation but also represents a challenge for specialized technical staff. It is well known that the first fatigue failure element of a forklift is its fork. A simulation using the SolidWorks suite and its result is presented in this article. It allows the identification of critical areas of fatigue failure. Based on the design of the subassembly and the loading scheme of the original product, the model under analysis with finite element was made on a 1: 1 scale. The filet areas also required a comparative analysis of the results obtained depending on the choice of mesh and discretization element. Starting from the mechanical properties of the material as well as the association with the characteristic fatigue yield curves (Wohler), a method for estimating the remaining service life of the structure is proposed. The aspect related to obtaining exact results without an excessive consumption of computing resources was also taken into account.

The safety of railways has been and remains a critical topic. Whether it is infrastructure or rolling stock, the issue of safety is a permanent concern of the utmost importance, being reflected in the efficiency of any transport system. This paper focuses on the safety in operation of pressure vessels that equip railway tanks. There are many articles and works on this subject, and it is well-known that there are both national and international regulations regarding their design, execution, operation and maintenance. Also, there are quite a few reports on the BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion) phenomenon resulting in material damage and significant casualties. The BLEVE-type explosion is not considered a chemical explosion derived from a gas-air explosive environment (also present in non-flammable gases), but rather a mechanical explosion through over-pressurization. Thus, we propose a comparative study between the results obtained using theoretical methods and those obtained as a result of tensoresistive measurements on such a tanker.