No abstract

No abstract

Pipelines subjected to displacement-controlled loading such as ground movement may experience significant longitudinal strain. This can potentially impact pipeline structural capacity and their leak-tight integrity. Reliable calibration of the tensile strain capacity (TSC) of pipelines plays a critical role in strain-based design (SBD) methods. Recent studies were focused mostly on high toughness modern pipelines, while limited research was performed on lower-grade vintage pipelines. However, a significant percentage of energy resources in North America is still being transported in vintage pipelines. Eight full-scale pressurized four-point bending tests were previously conducted on X42, NPS 22 vintage pipes with 12.7 mm wall thickness to investigate the effect of internal pressure and flaw size on TSC. The pipes were subjected to 80% and 30% specified minimum yield strength (SMYS) internal pressures with different girth weld flaw sizes machined at the girth weld center line. This paper evaluates the TSC of X42 vintage pipeline by utilizing ductile fracture mechanics models using damage plasticity models in ABAQUS extended finite element method (XFEM). The damage parameters required for simulating crack initiation and propagation in X42 vintage pipeline are calibrated numerically by comparing the numerical models with the full-scale test results. With the appropriate damage parameters, the numerical model can reasonably reproduce the full-scale experimental test results and can be used to carry out parametric analysis to characterize the effect of internal pressure and flaw size on TSC of X42 vintage pipes.

No abstract

In this paper, the significance of the length to diameter ratio (L/D) on the local buckling response was evaluated using continuum finite element modelling procedures. A numerical model was developed, using the finite-element simulator ABAQUS/Standard, to predict the local buckling and post-buckling response of high strength pipelines subject to combined state of loading. The numerical procedures were calibrated using test data from large-scale experiments examining the local buckling of high strength linepipe. The numerical model’s response was consistent with the measured experimental response for predicting the local buckling behavior well into the post-yield range. A parametric study was conducted to examine the significance of the linepipe L/D ratio with respect to the yield stress to ultimate stress ratio (Y/T) and hoop yield stress to longitudinal yield stress ratio or anisotropy factor (R). As the models with high L/D ratio exhibit global Euler-type response, a numerical algorithm was developed to calculate the local section moment response for the FE analysis. The analysis conducted provides insight on the significance of end effects on the local buckling response. There are questions on the approach taken by current industry practice with respect to establishing compressive strain limits for local buckling when using shorter linepipe segment lengths. The results from this study suggest end effects require assessment and potential mitigation.