Estimation of residual stress in spiral welded pipe - Regression and numerical model

Double submerged spiral-welded pipe (SWP) is used extensively throughout the world for large-diameter pipelines. Fabrication-induced residual stresses in spiral welded pipe have received increasing attention in gas, oil and petrochemical industry. Several studies reported in the literature verify the critical role of residual stresses in the failure of these pipes. Therefore, it is important that such stresses are accounted for in safety assessment procedures such as the British R6 and BS7910. This can be done only when detailed information on the residual stress distribution in the component is known. In industry, residual stresses in spiral welded pipe are measured experimentally by means of destructive techniques known as Ring Splitting Test. In this study, statistical analysis and linear-regression modeling were used to study the effect of several structural, material and welding parameters on ring splitting test opening for spiral welded pipes. The experimental results were employed to develop an appropriate regression equation, and to predict the residual stress on the spiral welded pipes. It was found that the developed regression equation explains 36.48% of the variability in the ring opening. In the second part, a 3-D finite element model is presented to perform coupled-field analysis of the welding of spiral pipe. Using this model, temperature as well as stress fields in the region of the weld edges is predicted.