Assessment methods to avoid brittle failure of old steel structures

Although many structures made of mild steel erected during the period between 1890 and 1940 are still in service after decades, there is usually no need to replace them. When assessing these existing steel structures to be able to decide on necessary rehabilitation and reinforcement measures engineers require information about the mechanical as well as the technological properties of the material. Additionally, it is essential to quantify the level of reliability against brittle failure. In contrast to conventional tests such as the impact test, fracture mechanics is suitable for appropriate assessment against brittle fracture of riveted or bolted structures made of old mild steel.