| One of the frequent fabrication features in steel pipelines is the presence of girth welds connecting the successive lengths of pipe. In order to study the effect of the girth weld connections on the behavior of pipelines, a series of seven tests was carried out on two sizes of girth-welded pipeline.; The test results consist of the load vs. rotation responses and the strain, curvature, and displacement profiles along the length of each specimen. Global and local moment vs. curvature responses are also developed for the test specimens. The local buckling and wrinkling phenomena in the test specimens are studied. The wrinkling compressive strains are determined and critical strain values are recommended. Empirical equations for critical strain values are presented for both plain pipe and girth-welded pipe. It is concluded that the critical strain values used in the current guidelines are overly conservative for pressurized pipes. In the moment vs. curvature curves for the wrinkled segments (i.e., the local response), the softening point always coincided with the limit point. The presence of the girth weld connection decreased the deformation capacity and critical strain values; however, it did not affect the ultimate moments at the specimen ends significantly. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
