The Effect of the Distance From the Center of a Weld to the Fixed End on the Residual Stress and Stress Intensity Factor of a Piping Weld

Abstract

The fixed conditions of butt welds between straight pipe and the valves or pump in an actual piping system are different from those of straight pipes. However, the effect of the fixed condition on the residual stress and the stress intensity factor for the evaluation of the structural integrity of cracked piping is not clear. In this study, finite element analyses were conducted by considering the differences in the distance from the center of weld to the fixed end L, to clarify the effect of the fixed condition on the residual stress and the stress intensity factor. For 600A piping, the residual stress distribution was not affected by L. Furthermore, the stress intensity factors of circumferential cracks under the residual stress field can be estimated by using an existing simplified solution for piping.