NONLINEAR-ANALYSIS AND PLASTIC-DEFORMATION OF PIPE ELBOWS SUBJECTED TO INPLANE BENDING

The purpose of this study is to investigate the large strain and stres s analysis for pipe elbows subjected to in-plane bending moments. A fi nite element model for the bend was constructed and loaded taking geom etric and material nonlinearities into account using (ABAQUS) nonlinea r finite element code. The initiation of yielding for the opening and closing cases appears at the inside surface of the elbow crown. Howeve r, further loading causes a significant difference in strain distribut ion and deformed shapes. The limit moment for the opening cases is hig her than that for closing due to the geometric stiffening effects. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.