Factor of Safety

Did you ever hear the term factor of safety?

Why mention this, because some people use factor of safety to take short cuts or improperly apply thisdetermine in there reasoning to allow a pressure vessel to operate even though common knowledge wouldsuggest otherwise.

What is the purpose of a factor of safety?

Factors of Safety are used because no manufacture can guarantee 100% quality. Every pressure vessel has a factor of safety. A factor of safety accounts for uncertainties in materials, design,…,and fabrication.

Factory of Safety [FS] = Actual Breaking Strength

                                                Load

To believe in that a F.S. makes a PV [Pressure Vessel] safe is DANGEROUS and unwise. Putting this in another way, a factor of safety compensate for imperfections in the pressure vessel; therefore, every pressure vessel should be treated the same regardless of the factor of safety.