Gross structural discontinuity

A further restriction on secondary stresses is that they may not be closer to another gross structural discontinuity than a distance of 2.5VHmt. This restriction is to eliminate the additive effects of edge moments and forces. 

Gross Structural Discontinuity A gross structural discontinuity is a source of stress or strain intensification which affects a relatively large portion of a stmcture and has a significant effect on the overall stress or strain pattern or on the stmcture as a whole. Examples of gross stmctural discontinuities are as follows ... 

In Chapter 5 we showed how stresses are evaluated at different locations due to thermal and mechanical conditions. The magnitude of these stresses must be kept below a given allowable stress. This allowable stress is established in the ASME Code, VIII-2. The designer has to establish first whether the stress is at a local or a gross structural discontinuity, as defined in Fig. 8.1. Next the stress... 

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