Plastic loads of cracked forged piping branch junctions: experimental results and comparison with numerical data

Plastic load test results from six forged piping branch junction components are reported. Two were uncracked and four had outside, flank cracks of len gth 2c = R running parallel to the run pipe centreline and with crack depth s of half or full thickness. The loads were internal pressure or out-of-pla ne branch pipe moment with, in one case, a combination of both being applie d. The test components, test rig and assembly/instrumentation are described and the results given. Finite element (FE) simulations of the test cases w ere performed and mesh development strategies are explained. Finally, compa risons between experimental and FE data are made and evaluations, by compar ison with such little information as is available in the literature on crac ked piping branch junctions, are attempted. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.