Some studies concerning ultimate strength of piping under seismic loads concluded that there is a large design margin until failure, even if the stress calculated based on the current design method does not satisfy design criteria. To provide a more rational seismic design, a new Code Case for seismic design of piping is now under development in the framework of JSME Nuclear Codes and Standards. The Code Case incorporates a dynamic elastic-plastic analysis procedure by employing finite element analysis as an alternative to the current design analysis method of elastic assumption. To confirm the applicability of inelastic response analysis, benchmark analyses have been conducted. In the first round benchmark, a carbon steel elbow analysis was performed. In this report, a second round benchmark with a stainless steel elbow and tee is introduced. The second benchmark aims to establish an analysis procedure for stainless steel piping and tee piping of complicated shapes. The second benchmark results provided a practical analysis method for stainless steel piping, and the Code Case was expanded so that it could be applied not only to carbon steel piping but also to stainless steel piping. The second benchmark also challenged analyses of a tee having complicated geometry. These results provide some important knowledge, and they will be included in the Code Case.
Shaking table tests of three-dimensional piping models with degradation were conducted in order to investigate the influence of degradation on dynamic behavior and failure modes of piping systems. The degradation condition induced in the piping models was about 50 percent full circumferential wall thinning at elbows. Four types of models were made for the shaking table tests by varying the location of wall thinning in the piping models. These models were excited under the same input acceleration until the models failed and a leak of pressurized internal water occurred. Through these tests, the change of the vibration characteristics and processes to failure of degraded piping models were obtained. The deformation of the piping models tended to concentrate on the degraded elbows, and the damage was concentrated on the weakest elbow in the piping models. The failure mode of the piping models was a low-cycle fatigue failure at the weakest elbow.
Pressurized piping systems used for an extended period may develop degradations such as wall thinning or cracks due to aging. It is important to estimate the effects of degradation on the dynamic behavior and to ascertain the failure modes and remaining strength of the piping systems with degradation through experiments and analyses to ensure the seismic safety of degraded piping systems under destructive seismic events. In order to investigate the influence of degradation on the dynamic behavior and failure modes of piping systems with local wall thinning, shake table tests using 3D piping system models were conducted. About 50% full circumferential wall thinning at elbows was considered in the test. Three types of models were used in the shake table tests. The difference of the models was the applied bending direction to the thinned-wall elbow. The bending direction considered in the tests was either of the in-plane bending, out-of-plane bending, or mixed bending of the in-plane and out-of-plane. These models were excited under the same input acceleration until failure occurred. Through these tests, the vibration characteristic and failure modes of the piping models with wall thinning under seismic load were obtained. The test results showed that the out-of-plane bending is not significant for a sound elbow, but should be considered for a thinned-wall elbow, because the life of the piping models with wall thinning subjected to out-of-plane bending may reduce significantly.
The objective of this study is to simulate the shaking test of a condensate storage tank (CST). In this test, the typical failure mode was an elephant-foot bulge (EFB) or a shear buckling. It is difficult to reproduce such buckling modes. However, at last, an analytical model which describes those modes with enough accuracy was achieved. The comparison between simulation results and experiments is explained. Acoustic theory and classical plasticity theory were used in the FEM simulation. The phase and magnitude of the response acceleration and hydraulic pressure obtained from the FEM simulation are well corresponded to those from the experiments. In addition, asymmetrical distribution of maximum and minimum hydraulic pressure is described.
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