The three primary failure modes that may be exhibited by polyethylene (PE) gas pipe materials were described in detail. The modes are: ductile rupture, slow crack growth (SCG), and rapid crack propagation (RCP). Short term mechanical tests were evaluated for usefulness in determining the relative resistance of PE materials to SCG failures. Long-term hydrostatic stressrupture test data was used with various models to predict the remaining life expectancy of a few older PE materials under specific field conditions. More than 50 field failures were classified by cause. Small scale steady state (S-4) testing was conducted on six large diameter PE materials to determine the critical pressure and/or the critical temperature.
The results of a theoretical study of the propagation behavior of surface cracks in the web of railroad rails are presented. Two fracture mechanics mo...
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