Damage assessment in a reinforced concrete pedestal based on rotating machinery vibration analysis

Abstract

A critical operational condition to be considered in the fatigue damage evaluation in reinforced concrete pedestals of power plants generation is the caused by the dynamic effects transmitted by the turbo-generator in terms of vibrations. The structural behavior of the turbo-generator under dynamics conditions is affected by its dimensional characteristics, the weight of each components and the performance of each supports on terms of stiffness and damping. In this study, a coupled finite element model FEM of the turbo-generator and reinforced concrete pedestal were developed in order to evaluate the dynamic behavior of the structure and the fatigue damage for different real operational conditions according to data obtained from field measurements. The FEM developed for the pedestal considers the inclusion of reinforcing steel structural elements within the concrete. The methodology was implemented to determine the critical zones to fatigue failure and an estimate of remaining fatigue life in the pedestal.