LPD-1

                     SHIP SYSTEMS ISE ADVISORY NO. 011-87                       
                                                                                
                                                                                
                     MAIN PROPULSION BOILER (NON-NUCLEAR)                       
                       DOWNCOMER TUBE BUTT WELDED JOINTS                        
                                                                                
                  NAVSSES PHILADELPHIA PA MSG 132100Z MAY 87                    
                                                                                
                                                                                
 REF:            A.      MIL-STD-22, JOINT P-3, FIGURE 3                        
                                                                                
                                                                                
 1.      SUMMARY:  POTENTIAL PROBLEM OF TUBE CRACKING IS PRESENTED.             
 AFFECTED SHIPS ARE IDENTIFIED.  INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS AND CORREC-            
 TIVE ACTIONS ARE PROMULGATED.  END SUMMARY.                                    
                                                                                
 2.      USS VANCOUVER (LPD-2), USS LASALLE (AGF-3), USS RALEIGH (LPD-1) AND    
 POSSIBLY USS MARS (AFS-1) HAVE EXPERIENCED CIRCUMFERENTIAL CRACKING            
 OF DOWNCOMER TUBES AT NOTCHES WHICH RESULTED FROM TUBE END                     
 PREPARATION TO ACCEPT BACKING RINGS.  DRIVING MECHANISM FOR THE                
 CRACKING HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO BE CORROSION FATIGUE.  PROBLEM WAS             
 ORIGINALLY BELIEVED TO BE LIMITED TO NON-TAPERED TRANSITIONS FROM              
 BACKING RING PREPARATION TO TUBE INSIDE DIAMETER.  HOWEVER, THROUGH            
 WALL CRACKS HAVE ALSO OCCURRED IN CONFIGURATIONS SHOWING A 45                  
 DEGREE (ONE TO ONE TAPER) TRANSITION.                                          
                                                                                
 3.      REFERENCE A SHOWS CONFIGURATION FOR BUTT WELDED JOINTS INCOR-          
 PORATING PERMANENT BACKING RINGS.  THIS JOINT REQUIRES A FOUR TO ONE           
 TAPER (APPROXIMATELY 14 DEGREES) AND A 1/16 INCH RADIUS AT THE                 
 TRANSITION FROM THE BACKING RING RECESS TO THE TUBE INSIDE DIAMETER.           
                                                                                
 4.      A SURVEY OF BOILER DRAWINGS HAS BEEN CONDUCTED BY NAVSSES.             
 SHIPS WITH DRAWINGS INDICATING DOWNCOMER TUBE BUTT WELDS NOT                   
 CONFORMING TO REFERENCE A ARE AS FOLLOWS:                                      
                                                                                
                                                                                
                 NUMBER OF                       TAPER                          
         SHIPS    BOILERS        MANUFACTURER    (RATIO OR DEGREE)              
                                                                                
                                                                                
 AD 41, 42       8       CE      18 DEGREES                                     
 43, 44                                                                         
                                                                                
 AFS 1     21    B AND W (NOTE 1)                                               
 THROUGH 7                                                                      
                                                                                
 AOE 4      4    B AND W 30 DEGREES                                             
                                                                                
 AO 177, 178       10    CE      18 DEGREES                                     
 179, 180, 186                                                                  
                                                                                
 CV 60, 61         16    B AND W (NOTE 1)                                       
                                                                                
 CV 62      8    B AND W (NOTE 2)                                               
                                                                                
 CV 63, 64         16    FW      30 DEGREES                                     
                                                                                
 CV 66      8    FW      25 DEGREES                                             
                                                                                
 DD 946     4    B AND W (NOTE 1)                                               
                                                                                
 DDG 2, 3, 7, 8,   32    B AND W (NOTE 1)                                       
 10, 11, 12, 13                                                                 
                                                                                
 DDG 20, 21, 22    12    B AND W (NOTE 1)                                       
                                                                                
 DDG 37, 38, 39    12    FW      30 DEGREES                                     
                                                                                
 FF 1052, 1053,    68    CE      3/1                                            
 1054, 1055, 1058,                                                              
 1060, 1062, 1064,                                                              
 1066, 1067, 1070,                                                              
 1071, 1074, 1076,                                                              
 1078 THROUGH 1097                                                              
                                                                                
 LHA 1 THROUGH 5   10    CE      3/1                                            
                                                                                
 LHD 1 THROUGH 5   10    CE      3/1                                            
                                                                                
 LKA 113 THROUGH   10    CE      3/1                                            
 117                                                                            
                                                                                
 LPD 1 THROUGH 6   12    B AND W (NOTE 3)                                       
                                                                                
 LPH 12     2    CE      3/1                                                    
                                                                                
 LSD 36     2    CE      3/1                                                    
                                                                                
 NOTE 1: TAPER NOT DIMENSIONED ON DRAWINGS.                                     
                                                                                
 NOTE 2:                                                                        
                 TAPER NOT DIMENSIONED ON DRAWINGS.  SHIP IS CURRENTLY IN       
 SHIP'S LIFE EXTENSION PROGRAM (SLEP).  ACTION ALREADY                          
 IDENTIFIED.                                                                    
                                                                                
 NOTE 3:                                                                        
                 DRAWINGS SHOW NO TAPER.  ACTUAL SHIPBOARD CONFIGURATIONS       
 HAVE VARIABLE TAPERS.  THROUGH THE WALL CRACK WAS                              
 PRESENT ON 45 DEGREE (ONE TO ONE) TAPER.                                       
                                                                                
 5.      NAVSSES RECOMMENDS THAT BOILER DOWNCOMERS OF SHIPS LISTED IN           
 PARAGRAPH 4 ABOVE BE INSPECTED AT NEXT ROUTINE 18 MONTH WATERSIDE              
 INSPECTION BY A CURRENTLY CERTIFIED STEAM GENERATING PLANT                     
 INSPECTOR (SGPI).  IF NEXT WATERSIDE OPENING IS DURING A SCHEDULED             
 MAINTENANCE CYCLE, NAVSSES BOILER INSPECTORS WILL EVALUATE THESE               
 DOWNCOMER JOINTS.                                                              
                                                                                
 6.      INSPECTION RESULTS ARE TO BE DOCUMENTED IN BOILER INFORMATION          
 AND REPAIR MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (BIRMIS).  POSITIVE AND               
 NEGATIVE RESULTS SHOULD BE INCLUDED.  IF INSPECTION DOES NOT COINCIDE          
 WITH SCHEDULED ROUTINE BOILER INSPECTION, ENTER AS A SPECIAL INSPEC-           
 TION.  REQUEST NAVSEA AND NAVSSES BE INFORMED BY MESSAGE OR SPEED-             
 LETTER WHEN EACH INSPECTION IS COMPLETED AND RESULTS ARE RECORDED              
 IN BIRMIS.                                                                     
                                                                                
 7.      CORRECTIVE ACTIONS SHOULD BE PURSUED AS FOLLOWS:                       
                                                                                
                                                                                
         A.      IF CRACKS ARE FOUND, THEY MUST BE GROUND OUT AND SATISFAC-     
 TORY NDT CONDUCTED.  IF DEPTH OF GRIND OUT REDUCES REMAINING WALL              
 BELOW 2/3, CONTACT NAVSSES FOR DETAILED REPAIR GUIDANCE.  TAPER IN             
 CRACKED TUBES AND ALL OTHER SIMILAR TUBES OF THAT BOILER ARE TO BE             
 GROUND TO FOUR TO ONE TAPER REQUIREMENT OF REFERENCE A.  RESTORA-              
 TION OF TAPER IN ACCESSIBLE HEADER DOWNCOMERS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED              
 ON A SHIP BY SHIP BASIS.                                                       
         B.      IF NO CRACKING IS PRESENT AND IF TAPERS GREATER THAN 30        
 DEGREES ARE FOUND, FAIR IN BY A HAND GRINDING TO ACHIEVE TAPER AND             
 RADIUS CONFIGURATION OF REFERENCE A.  PERFORM GRINDING AT NEXT                 
 SCHEDULED INDUSTRIAL AVAILABILITY.  THE FOLLOWING ARE RECOMMENDED              
 TOOLS AND PROCEDURES FOR REMOVING SHARP COUNTERBORE BEVELS                     
 (SHARPER THAN FOUR TO ONE) AND PROVIDING A 1/16 INCH RADIUS AT BEVEL           
 BASE TO MAKE JOINTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH REFERENCE A.                            
                 (1)     TOOLS:                                                 
                         (A)     HAND SIZE PNEUMATIC GRINDER WITH 12 TO 16 INCH 
 1/4 INCH DIAMETER EXTENSIONS (MADE FROM 1/4 INCH DRILL STOCK).                 
                         (B)     1/4 INCH BALL ROTARY FILE, MEDIUM COARSE, WITH 
 INCH SHAFT THREE INCHES IN LENGTH.                                             
                         (C)     1/2 INCH BALL ROTARY FILE, MEDIUM COARSE, WITH 
 INCH SHAFT THREE INCHES IN LENGTH.                                             
                         (D)     1/2 INCH CONE GRINDING STONE (APPROXIMATELY FOU
 TO ONE TAPERED CONE) WITH 1/4 INCH SHAFT 3 INCHES IN LENGTH.                   
                         (E)     1-1/4 INCH LONG, 1/4 INCH SLEEVE WITH TWO SET S
 (TO COUPLE TOOLS TO EXTENSIONS).                                               
                 (2)     METHODS:                                               
                         (A)     SET MIRROR WITH MAGNETIC STAND BEYOND COUNTER- 
 BORE BEVEL TO BE WORKED.  ILLUMINATE WORK SECTION WITH SUITABLE HIGH           
 INTENSITY LIGHT.                                                               
                         (B)     USING 1/4 INCH BALL ROTARY FILE, REMOVE SHARP B
 BASE AND PROVIDE RADIUSED TRANSITION FROM COUNTERBORE TO BEVEL IN              
 ACCORDANCE WITH REFERENCE A.                                                   
                         (C)     USING 1/2 INCH BALL ROTARY FILE, "FAIR IN" BEVE
 REQUIRED FOUR TO ONE TAPER IN ACCORDANCE WITH REFERENCE A.                     
                         (D)     USING 1/2 INCH CONE GRINDING STONE DEBURR AND  
 SMOOTH OUT RADIUS AND BEVEL.                                                   
                 (3)     QUALITY ASSURANCE:                                     
                         (A)     FABRICATE COUNTERBORE BEVEL SLOPE GAGE (WITH   
 FOUR TO ONE TAPER) FROM 1/8 INCH THICK SHEET METAL.                            
                         (B)     USING GAGE AND MIRROR WITH MAGNETIC STAND, EN- 
 SURE EACH JOINT COUNTERBORE BEVEL IS TAPERED PROPERLY (FOUR TO ONE             
 IN ACCORDANCE WITH REFERENCE A).                                               
                 (4)     EXPECTED WORK RATE IS TWO FOUR INCH JOINTS PER EIGHT   
 HOUR PERIOD IN STEAM DRUM, 1.5 JOINTS IN WATERDRUM (WATERDRUM IS               
 SLOWER BECAUSE  OF TIRESOME WORKING POSITION).                                 
         C.      IF TAPERS 30 DEGREES OR LESS ARE FOUND, NO CORRECTIVE          
 ACTION IS REQUIRED.  MONITOR JOINTS AT FUTURE INSPECTIONS.                     
         D.      IF BACKING RING IS LOCATED IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO PRECLUDE     
 ADEQUATE INSPECTION, A PORTION OF THE BACKING RING MAY BE REMOVED              
 HAND GRINDING TO FACILITATE INSPECTION.                                        
         E.      IF JOINTS ARE ENCOUNTERED THAT ARE NOT ACCESSIBLE FOR          
 VISUAL INSPECTION (SUCH AS HEADER CONNECTIONS) SPECIAL EQUIPMENT               
 AND TECHNIQUES SUCH AS RADIOGRAPHY OR FIBEROPTICS WILL BE NECES-               
 SARY.  IF BACKING RING INTERFERES WITH INSPECTION OF THESE JOINTS AND          
 CANNOT BE GROUND OUT, STUBBING OR REPLACEMENT OF TUBE MAY BE                   
 REQUIRED.                                                                      
                                                                                
 8.      NAVSSES WILL DISTRIBUTE SKETCHES AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY 1 JUNE 1987        
 SHOWING THE CONFIGURATION OF ACCEPTABLE AND UNACCEPTABLE TAPERS,               
 CRACK LOCATIONS AND TAPER MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES.                              
                                                                                
 9.      ACTIVITIES PERFORMING HAND GRINDING OF TAPERS ARE ENCOURAGED           
 TO CONDUCT TRAINING OF PERSONNEL ON MOCK-UPS PRIOR TO GRINDING ON              
 A BOILER.  NAVSSES WILL PUBLISH BY 15 JUNE 1987 PHOTOGRAPHS AND                
 SKETCHES OF TRAINING MOCK-UPS USED HERE FOR SUCH TRAINING.                     
                                                                                
 10.     NAVSSES WILL PUBLISH BY 1 JULY 1987 AND ADVANCE CHANGE NOTICE TO       
 NSTM 8010 GIVING DETAILS OF DOWNCOMER REPAIR TECHNIQUES.                       
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
 THIS ADVISORY IS APPLICABLE TO ALL SHIPS LISTED IN PARAGRAPH 4 ABOVE.