Abstract
Unreinforced 12 in. × 23 in. (305 mm × 584 mm) galvanized steel flat oval ducts were tested to measure deformations when internal static gauge pressures were applied. The experiments were performed on spiral seam non-corrugated duct. Finite element models with discrete ring seams and an average wall thickness approach were utilized to represent the continuous spiral seam, and therein predict duct deflections at prescribed locations along the duct wall. Predicted deflections from the finite element models were tabulated and compared to experimental data. Satisfactory agreement between model predictions and test data were obtained from a non-linear finite element analysis that employed a simplified average wall thickness to characterize the spiral seam and duct wall. It is straightforward to implement the average wall thickness methodology in finite element modeling of duct deformation.
