Limit analysis based on elastic compensation method of branch pipe tee connection under internal pressure and out-of-plane moment loading

摘要

A new method of calculating the limit load of a structure via a sequence of incompressible elasticfinite element calculations with variable Young's moduli converging to the rigid perfectly plasticproblem is used to study the limit load of branch pipe tee connections. Several models of branch pipetee connection are meshed with shell elements and submitted to internal pressure with end axial loadeffect or out-of plane moment. Results are compared with lower and upper bound analytical solutionsand experimental results reported in the literature. Computations with 20 noded cubic elements arealso proposed to validate shell studies. The J integral is also calculated by a simplified method withthe limit load, using an example of a defective branch pipe tee connection.