ESTIMATION OF STRESS INTENSITY FACTORS DUE TO WELDING RESIDUAL STRESSES FOR CIRCUMFERENTIALLY CRACKED PIPES

This paper proposes a simple method to estimate stress intensity factors due to welding residual stresses. In this study, finite element analyses for circumferentially cracked pipe are performed to calculate stress intensity factors. Four cracked geometries and two types of weld geometry are considered. K-I-solutions for the nonlinear stress distribution on the crack face were determined in accordance with codes and standards. The results are compared with XI-solutions from finite element results. It is found that proposed simple method agrees well with FE results.