be formed after the turbine blade is cast by milling away a portion of the material of the platform 30 the insert 32 adds strength beyond that which is normally provided by the material of the platform 30 as such the insert 32 makes the platform 30 more strain tolerant although various materials may be used for the insert 32 ren u00e9 80 u2122 ren u00e9 142 u2122 ren u00e9 195 u2122 alloys are exemplary materials for the insert 32 because of their excellent resistance to low cycle fatigue as with the composite blade tip 27 the insert 32 may be added during the manufacture of a new turbine blade or may be employed as retrofit strengthening or repair solution for a used turbine blade similar to the composite blade tip 27 the utilization of an insert 32 allows the metallurgical properties of the platform 30 to be optimized for the thermodynamic and mechanical stresses encountered at each location of the platform 30 many different profiles may used for the insert as illustrated in fig6 the insert 32 may have vertically straight sidewalls which mate with the vertically straight sidewalls of the orifice in the platform 30 alternatively as illustrated in fig7 the insert 34 may have a u201c stepped u201d sidewall which mates with a vertically straight sidewall of the orifice in the platform 30 in this embodiment the insert 34 comprises a flange which overlaps a portion of the platform 30 in another embodiment as illustrated in fig8 the insert 36 may have a stepped sidewall which mates with a orifice having a stepped sidewall in the platform 30 in this embodiment the platform 30 has a counterbore which mates with the flange of the insert 36 in another embodiment as illustrated in fig9 the insert.