Recently three of the authors of this paper presented analytical solutions for reference loads of plate geometries with semi-elliptical surface cracks subjected to tension, bending, combined tension-bending and biaxial tension. These solutions were shown to provide more accurate crack driving force estimates than the conventional limit load solutions available in the literature, and the method behind them allowed for a wider application range. Within the present paper a methodology for the fracture analysis of thick-wall pressurized pipes using the R6 assessment method and considering both, biaxial and combined tension-bending loading is developed and validated. The analyses are carried out analytically, and the comparison between the predicted critical loads and experimental burst test failure loads shows satisfying agreement, this way demonstrating the potential of the proposed method.
The yield or limit load is a key parameter with respect to the accuracy of flaw assessment based on R6 type procedures such as the R6 routine, the SINTAP and FITNET method, the standard BS 7910 and others. In a number of previous papers two of the present authors proposed the use of a reference load instead of the common limit load, which not only provided more exact fracture mechanics predictions, but showed also a wider and more general application range than the conventional parameter. Here the method has been extended to biaxial tensile loading and it has been successfully validated by a thorough comparison with finite element results and alternative solutions available in the literature.
Two of the authors of the present paper proposed a definition of a reference load F0 which can be used as an alternative option to the common limit load for cases where the definition of the latter might be problematic in the frame of flaw assessment procedures such as R6, BS 7910, SINTAP or FITNET. The reference load is defined as that load at which the ligament yielding parameter Lr approaches one. F0, in general, varies along the crack front. It has to be obtained by finite element analyses but the results can be approximated by analytical expressions. In a previous study of the authors such a solution was presented for tension loaded plates with semi-elliptical surface cracks. In the present paper it is extended to pure bending and to combined bending and tension.
The net section limit load FY necessary for assessment at static loading is a key input for the accuracy of any elasticplastic flaw assessment procedure of the R6 type. Unfortunately available limit load solutions are of variable quality since they have been obtained over decades by different methods. As a consequence the results of the fracture analyses such as the critical load or crack size are limited in their accuracy and are often significantly conservative. Further, common limit load solutions based on ligament yielding are inadequate in a number of cases even for through crack configurations and should be replaced by some kind of local yielding solutions. In the present paper a simple and straightforward reference load definition is proposed instead of the limit load which strictly corresponds to a ligament yielding parameter Lr = 1 in the R6 Routine and similar approaches such as the European SINTAP and FITNET methods. This can be determined by finite element simulation for any geometry. In addition to a previous study on thin wall notched plates the method is applied to plates containing shallow semi-elliptical surface cracks. The results demonstrate that the approach provides a suitable extension and improvement of the existing methods.
The net section limit load FY is a key input parameter for the accuracy of any
elastic-plastic flaw assessment procedure of the R6 type. Unfortunately available limit load
solutions are of variable quality since they have been obtained over decades by different
methods. As a consequence the results of the fracture analyses such as the critical load or
crack size are limited in their accuracy and are often significantly conservative. A further
problem is that common limit load solutions based on ligament yielding are inadequate in a
number of cases even for through crack configurations and should be replaced by some
kind of local yielding solutions. In the present paper a simple and straightforward reference
load definition is proposed instead of the limit load which strictly corresponds to a ligament
yielding parameter Lr = 1 in the R6 Routine and similar approaches such as SINTAP and
FITNET. This can be determined by finite element simulation for any geometry. In addition to
a previous study on thin wall notched plates the method is applied to plates containing
shallow semi-elliptical surface cracks. The results demonstrate that the approach provides a
suitable extension and improvement of the existing methods.