An enhanced pipe elbow element - Application in plastic limit analysis of pipe structures

In this paper, we present a new pipe elbow element based on a previous simp lified model proposed by Bathe and Almeida [1, 2] and modified by Militello and Huespe [3]. It is really a beam-type element but it describes the oval ization, warping, radial expansion and non-symmetric deformation of cross-s ection of curved pipe with Fourier series;Therefore, it could model precise ly enough a real pipe elbow structure but remains simple. The extensive loa ding cases are effectively implemented by the proposed numerical techniques and displacement model. The developed element is used in this paper in pla stic limit analysis of pipe elbow structures. This Is realized by means of a direct mathematical programming technique. Various elastic and plastic li mit state analyses of straight pipes and elbow structures are presented, wh ich illustrates the efficiency of the element and the numerical method. Cop yright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.