Results of the experimental and numerical comparative analysis of steamline pipes have been presented. New pipes and the pipes used for more than 117,000 hours at 540 degrees C under pressure of 42 bars have been simultaneously tested. This testing has been carried out because frequent failures of the equipment components exposed to elevated temperatures, Such as steam pipelines, make it necessary to pay particular attention to the analysis of the materials used. The most frequent failures were those connected with occurrence of cracks, particularly expressed in case of steel 14MoV6 3. Local approach to fracture has been developed for complete understanding of fracture mechanism. This approach combines theoretical, experimental and numerical solutions.