Abstract
As required by regulations, Finite Element Analyses (FEA) can be used to investigate the behavior of joints which might be complex to design due to the presence of geometrical and material discontinuities. The static behavior of such problems is mesh dependent, thus these results must be calibrated by using laboratory tests or reference data. Once the Finite Element (FE) model is correctly setup, the same settings can be used to study joints for which no reference is available. The present work analyzes the static strength of reinforced T-joints and sheds light on the following aspects: shell elements are a valid alternative to solid modeling; the best combination of element type and mesh density for several configurations is shown; the ultimate static strength of joints can be predicted, as well as when mechanical properties are roughly introduced for some FE topologies. The increase in strength of 12 unreinforced and reinforced (with collar or doubler plate) T-joints subjected to axial brace loading is studied. The present studies are compared with the literature and practical remarks are given in the conclusion section.
Highlights
Joints in offshore engineering are crucial because they are key components in the design of jacket structures
The present work analyzes the static strength of reinforced T-joints and sheds light on the following aspects: shell elements are a valid alternative to solid modeling; the best combination of element type and mesh density for several configurations is shown; the ultimate static strength of joints can be predicted, as well as when mechanical properties are roughly introduced for some Finite Element (FE) topologies
The FE analyses with the use of shell elements in this research have been directed to simulate the static behavior of a set of 12 unreinforced and reinforced test cases, on uniplanar T-joints under axial brace load carried out by Choo et al [4]
Summary
Joints in offshore engineering are crucial because they are key components in the design of jacket structures. Jacket structures are investigated using simple lattice models made of beams which simulate the tubular elements of the whole structures Such simple model is extremely convenient for global structural analysis but does not give enough detail regarding local structural failure such as fatigue cracking at joints. For this reason, several authors in the past and recent years investigated the problem of static and dynamic strength of offshore extensively [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17]. ABAQUS 6.14 will be used for all the simulations
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