Brittle Fracture Failure Due to Deficient Welding

A failure as a result of brittle fracture occurred at the Wolftrap Center for the Performing Arts in Fairfax, VA, USA, in January 1985. Failures that occur at stresses below the yield strength are broadly classified as brittle fractures. At Wolftrap, one of the main roof box girders, constructed of welded structural steel plates, actually split vertically, with a gap as wide as 38 mm. The thicknesses of the flange plates and web plates were 76 mm and 12.7 mm, respectively. On site investigation revealed that the gap reached its maximum width on the bottom of the girder and extended for most of its depth. The roof structure remained suspended and did not fall. There was sufficient redundancy in the structure, and alternate paths were available for load transfer. Therefore, total collapse was averted.