The out-of-plane quasi-static compressive behavior of four types of corrugated cores (V-type, U-type, X-type and Y-type core) has been investigated by experiment and FE simulations. By transient dynamic finite element analysis code MSC.Dytran numerical simulations were performed for calculating crushing forces, deformation mode and energy absorption. The FE simulations predict the crush behavior of cores with reasonable accuracy and provide the whole progressive buckling process and deformation modes. Experiment and simulation indicate that the U-type core, V-type core and X-type core structures show excellent crushing resistance performance and energy absorption characteristic. The crush performance of the Y-type core structures is relatively poor because of bending mode.

This research proposes a reliability simulation method combining the finite element simulation technology and stress-strength model to predict the structural reliability of girth welds with the following steps. Firstly, a group of finite element simulations of the girth welds are carried out considering uncertainties of elastic moduli in the weld and core barrel materials. Then the maximum von-Mises stresses over the welds are extracted from those simulations to generate the stress distribution. Finally through a stress-strength model, the structural reliability of the girth weld is calculated by assuming its yield strength following a Normal distribution. In addition, via the proposed method, influences factors such as temperature, pressure and the uncertainty level among the elastic modulus on the weld reliability are discussed in detail.