A tube with a rectangular cut-out. Part 1: Subject to pure bending

Abstract

The response to pure bending of tubes with rectangular cut-outs is considered. Experiments on 1000-mm long, 100-mm diameter, and 2.55-mm wall thickness DIN 2391 ST NBK supported steel tubes are described. Such a thickness-to-diameter ratio is typical of structural columns, rather than shell structures. Tubes containing cut-outs with an axial dimension of up to 30 mm and a circumferential size of up to 180° were tested. It was found that plastic hinge mechanisms dominated the response when the cut-out was on the compressive side, whereas fracture behaviour dominated the response when the cut-out was on the tensile side. Finite element and semi-empirical analyses were carried out to predict the global load-deformation behaviour of the tubes. All analyses gave reasonable predictions of the experimental results for the majority of the cut-out parameters investigated. The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of using cut-outs to initiate and control the toppling of offshore jacket structures.