J and CTOD Estimation Procedure for Circumferentially Cracked Pipes Based on Fully-Plastic Solutions

This work provides an estimation procedure to determine the J-integral and CTOD for pipes with circumferential surface cracks subjected to bending load for a wide range of crack geometries and material (hardening) based upon fully-plastic solutions. A summary of the methodology upon which J and CTOD are derived sets the necessary framework to determine nondimensional functions h₁ and h₂ applicable to a wide range of crack geometries and material properties characteristic of structural, pressure vessel and pipeline steels. The extensive nonlinear, 3-D numerical analyses provide a large set of solutions for J and CTOD which enters directly into fitness-for-service (FFS) analyses and defect assessment procedures of cracked pipes and cylinders subjected to bending load.