Correlation of Test and FEA Results for the Nonlinear Behavior of Straight Pipes and Elbows

Abstract

This paper summarizes the literature on reconciliation of finite element analyses with in-plane bending experiments on piping elbows. It then describes in detail two four-point-bending tests on straight pipes and two in-plane bending tests on elbows and the corresponding nonlinear finite element analyses. Using a new procedure for obtaining a stress-strain curve for stainless steel using only values for E,Sy, and Su and a representative stress-strain curve from a test on a similar material specimen, the nonlinear responses of the piping components tested are shown to be simulated more accurately than previously published results.