Numerical and Experimental Evaluation of Mechanical and Ring Stiffness Properties of Preconditioning Underground Glass Fiber Composite Pipes

Abstract

The mechanical and ring stiffness of glass fiber pipes are the most determining factors for their ability to perform their function, especially in a work environment with difficult and harmful conditions. Usually, these pipes serve in rough underground environments of desert and petroleum fields; therefore, they are subjected to multi-type deterioration and damage agents. In polymers and composite materials, corrosion is identified as the degradation in their properties. In this study, tension and compression tests were carried out before and after preconditioning in a corrosive agent for 60 full days to reveal corrosion influences. Moreover, the fracture toughness is measured using a standard single edge notch bending. Ring stiffness of such pipes which, are considered characteristic properties, is numerically evaluated using the extended finite element method before and after preconditioning. The results reported that both tensile and compressive strengths degraded nearly more than 20%. Besides the fracture toughness decrease, the stiffness ring strength is reduced, and the finite element results are in good agreement with the experimental findings.