ABSTRACT
Comprehensive assessment procedures have been developed in the UK for application to power generation plant. High temperature components are considered by the "R5" proce dure, which consists of several volumes covering defect-free and defected structures and weldments. This paper describes the principles applied to defect-free structures, for which the intent is to use simplified inelastic methods of analysis and realistic damage criteria to demonstrate avoidance of ratchetting and to assess creep-fatigue failure initiation. The sim plicity and effectiveness of the analysis are demonstrated by reference to a worked example.
