Elastic-Plastic Constraint Analysis of Semi-Elliptic Surface Cracks in X100 Pipeline Steel

Author(s):  
Z. X. Wang ◽  
R. F. Zhang ◽  
Y. J. Chao ◽  
P. S. Lam

In the framework of the J-A2 fracture theory, the crack driving force J and the crack tip constraint parameter A2 are used to describe the near crack tip stress and deformation fields. These two parameters, J and A2, were calculated from three-dimensional finite element results for semi-elliptic surface cracks with various lengths and depths in X100 pipeline steel. It was found that, under a uniform far field tensile loading, A2 increases rapidly to a nearly constant value along the crack front from the free surface to the deepest part of the crack. A similar trend was found for the J-integral distribution except in the case of a semi-circular crack. In addition, for a given elliptic crack configuration, A2 showed significant J-integral dependence when the crack front approached the free surface, where a strong three-dimensional effect is apparent. On the other hand, at the deepest part of the crack, A2 converged to a constant value. Two-dimensional plane strain calculations were also performed for single edge-notched tension specimens (SENT), where the crack length corresponds to the depth of the surface crack. The constraint of these two configurations (semi-elliptic crack and SENT) were compared under the same crack driving force (J-integral). In general, the constraint at the deepest crack front of an elliptic crack is higher than that of the corresponding SENT, especially in mid- to large scale yielding condition where J-integral is relatively large. It can be concluded that using fracture toughness determined from SENT specimens to predict surface flaw stability may lead to non-conservative result.

1998 ◽  
Vol 120 (4) ◽  
pp. 418-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Mohan ◽  
A. Krishna ◽  
F. W. Brust ◽  
G. M. Wilkowski

In the spirit of GE/EPRI fracture mechanics procedure, estimation schemes for the crack driving force for circumferentially and axially surface-cracked pressurized elbows subjected to bending are developed. These schemes are based on the results of line-spring/shell model. The line-spring/shell model offers an attractive and inexpensive alternative to performing a large number of analyses of surface-cracked structures. This model has been shown to provide accurate predictions in comparison with the more involved three-dimensional model by Mohan (1998). Using the results of this model and following the GE/EPRI procedure, the coefficient functions, F1 and h1, which provide the necessary information for predicting the crack driving force in cracked elbows, for several elbow and crack geometries are tabulated.


Author(s):  
Zhongxian Wang ◽  
Ruifeng Zhang ◽  
Yuh J. Chao ◽  
Poh-Sang Lam

Three-dimensional finite element analysis has been performed for several configurations of the semi-elliptic surface crack in an X100 pipeline steel plate under various biaxial loading conditions. The biaxial loading ratio (λ) is defined as the ratio of loading parallel to the crack face in the plate width direction to the loading perpendicular to the crack. The constraint level and the J-integral along the semi-elliptic crack front were calculated with J-A2 constraint theory in fracture mechanics, in which A2 is considered as the constraint parameter. It was found that λ influences the J values along the crack front. As λ varies from −1 to 0 then to +1, the location of the maximum J has a tendency to move from the deepest point of the crack to a location near the surface as the load increases, especially for a deeper crack. The constraint level (A2) along the crack front behaves similarly to the J-integral. At λ = −1, the value of A2 increases from the near surface to the deepest penetration when the load increases. In the case of uniaxial tension (λ = 0), the A2 values do not vary significantly except near the surface. When the equibiaxial condition is reached (λ = 1), the location of the highest constraint moves to the near surface. However, in this region the higher constraint level is unable to maintain as the load increases (i.e., the peak value of A2 decreases with increasing load). Finally, the failure assessment diagrams (FAD) at the deepest point of the semi-elliptic crack were constructed with the J-A2 fracture theory. The crack stability regions are apparently smaller in the cases of λ = −1 and 2 than those for λ = 0 (uniaxial tension) or λ = 1 (equibiaxial tension).


Author(s):  
Luís F. S. Parise ◽  
Claudio Ruggieri ◽  
Noel P. O’Dowd

Modern installation techniques for marine pipelines and subsea risers are often based on the reel-lay method, which introduces significant (plastic) strains on the pipe during reeling and un-reeling. The safe assessment of crack-like flaws under such conditions requires accurate estimations of the elastic-plastic crack driving forces, ideally expressed in a strain-based formulation to better account for the displacement controlled nature of the reeling method. This paper aims to facilitate such assessments by presenting a strain-based expression of the well-known EPRI estimation scheme for the J integral, which is directly based upon fully plastic descriptions of fracture behaviour under significant plasticity. Parametric finite element simulations of bending of circumferentially cracked pipes have been conducted for a set of crack geometries, pipe dimensions and material hardening properties representative of current applications. These provide the numerical assessment of the crack driving force upon which the non-dimensional factors of the EPRI methodology, which scale J with applied strain, are derived. Finally, these factors are presented in convenient graphical and tabular forms, thus allowing the direct and accurate assessment of the J integral for circumferentially cracked pipes subjected to reeling.


Author(s):  
Liwu Wei

In the ECA of a structure or component such as a pipeline girth weld, the bending stress component arising from misalignment across the weld is often classified as primary, partly because standards such as BS 7910 and API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 do not give definitive guidance on this subject. This approach may be over-conservative as the σmis is localised. In order to obtain a more realistic assessment of the structural integrity of structures containing misalignment, it is necessary to understand the conservatism or non-conservatism in an ECA associated with the classification of σmis. To address the above concerns, systematic investigations were carried out of surface cracks in a plate butt-weld including some misalignment, external circumferential surface cracks and external fully circumferential cracks in a misaligned pipe connection. FEA of these cracked welded joints with some misalignment (typically from 1mm to 2mm) was performed to calculate crack driving force and plastic limit load. The results from FEA were compared with the existing solutions of KI and σref in BS 7910 generated by assuming three options of treating the σmis. The three options were: (1) classification of σmis wholly as primary stress; (2) 15% of σmis as primary and 85% of σmis as secondary stress; and (3) classification of σmis wholly as secondary stress. Variations in parameters (eg misalignment, crack size, loading, weld overmatch and base material properties) were taken into account in order to determine the effects of these parameters on plastic limit load and crack driving force. The implication of different classifications of σmis in terms of ECAs of misaligned welded joints was revealed by conducting BS 7910 Level 2B assessments with the use of a FAD. It was found in this work that for the cases examined, use of the σmis as entirely primary bending in an ECA was over-conservative, and even treatment of σmis as entirely secondary bending was generally shown to be still conservative, when compared with the assessments based on FEA solutions. Furthermore, caution should be exercised in using the solutions of KI and σref given in the existing BS 7910 for crack-containing structures subjected to a bi-axial or tri-axial stress state. A non-conservative estimate may result from the use of these solutions which have been derived based on a uniaxial stress condition.


2018 ◽  
Vol 165 ◽  
pp. 09002
Author(s):  
Désiré Tchoffo Ngoula ◽  
Michael Vormwald

The purpose of the present contribution is to predict the fatigue life of welded joints by using the effective cyclic J-integral as crack driving force. The plasticity induced crack closure effects and the effects of welding residual stresses are taken into consideration. Here, the fatigue life is regarded as period of short fatigue crack growth. The node release technique is used to perform finite element based crack growth analyses. For fatigue lives calculations, the effective cyclic J-integral is employed in a relation similar to the Paris (crack growth) equation. For this purpose, a specific code was written for the determination of the effective cyclic J-integral for various lifetime relevant crack lengths. The effects of welding residual stresses on the crack driving force and the calculated fatigue lives are investigated. Results reveal that the influence of residual stresses can be neglected only for large load amplitudes. Finally, the predicted fatigue lives are compared with experimental data: a good accordance between both results is achieved.


2008 ◽  
Vol 56 (9) ◽  
pp. 2876-2895 ◽  
Author(s):  
N SIMHA ◽  
F FISCHER ◽  
G SHAN ◽  
C CHEN ◽  
O KOLEDNIK

2005 ◽  
Vol 297-300 ◽  
pp. 1235-1240
Author(s):  
Hui Ru Dong ◽  
Wanlin Guo ◽  
Zheng Yang

The effects of three-dimensional crack configurations and delaminations on fracture mechanism and fracture toughness Jc of pipeline steel were investigated experimentally by use of tensile specimens having surface cracks of different depth to length ratio. Comparison with test results of through-thickness cracks and mechanism analyses are made as well. When 3D stress constraint is larger than the strength in the thickness direction the delamination forms. As no delamination occurs in the interior of a surface crack, the constraint is higher and the fracture toughness is lower than that of the through-thickness cracks. Therefore, the nominal fracture toughness obtained from through-thickness cracked specimens is not a real material constancy, and not suitable for safety assessment of pipelines.


Author(s):  
Y. Kim ◽  
Y. J. Chao ◽  
M. J. Pechersky ◽  
M. J. Morgan

Elastic-plastic crack front fields in arc-shaped tension specimens (C-specimens) were analyzed by a three-dimensional finite element method. The effect of side grooves on the ductile fracture behavior was investigated by studying the J-integral distribution, plane-strain constraint parameter, and development of plastic zones and comparing to experimental data. The applicability of the η factor (derived for use with compact tension specimens) for the calculation of J-integral values for the C-specimen was also investigated. The results show that side grooves promote and establish near plane strain conditions at the crack front in sub-size specimens. It was also found that a two-dimensional plane-strain analysis in conjunction with the standard American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) tests was sufficient to determine the fracture toughness values from side-grooved C-specimen. The results indicate the η factor for compact tension specimen as specified in the ASTM standards appears to produce reliable results for the calculation of J of C-specimens.


Author(s):  
David J. Dewees ◽  
Robert H. Dodds

Previous work has focused on the methods and results for calculating flaw driving force in simulated three-dimensional (3D) weld residual stress (WRS) fields using contour (J) integral techniques. This paper extends that work to look at explicit modeling of the crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) in these same WRS fields, and for the same range of semi-elliptical flaws. Comparison is made between the predicted trends of driving force with crack size for the calculated driving force (J-integral) versus the “measured” value (CTOD). Implications for fracture assessments are given, and recommendations for future work are made.


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