Numerical Assessment of Pipeline Damage Due to an External Circumferential Semi-Elliptical Crack

Authors

  • Mohammed Amine Khater LaRTFM Laboratory, Mechanical Engineering Department, National Polytechnic School of Oran Maurice Audin, Oran, 31000, Algeria.
  • Chaaban Aroussi LPTPM Laboratory, Mechanical Engineering Departement, Faculty of Technology, Hassiba BenBouali University of Chlef, Chlef, 02000, Algeria.
  • Elamine Abdelouahed LABAB Laboratory, Mechanical Engineering Department, National Polytechnic School of Oran Maurice Audin, Oran, 31000, Algeria.
  • Bassam Gamal Nasser Muthanna Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Computing, University of Science and Technology, Aden, Yemen.
  • Mohamed Mokhtari LaRTFM Laboratory, Mechanical Engineering Department, National Polytechnic School of Oran Maurice Audin, Oran, 31000, Algeria.
  • Habib Benzaama LaRTFM Laboratory, Mechanical Engineering Department, National Polytechnic School of Oran Maurice Audin, Oran, 31000, Algeria.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24237/djes.2025.18405

Keywords:

Pipeline integrity, , Semi-elliptical crack,, Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM), Numerical assessment , Abaqus

Abstract

This paper presents a numerical evaluation of pipeline damage caused by an external circumferential semi-elliptical crack. The study utilizes the Abaqus software and the Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM) to model and analyze the crack behavior. Various parameters such as crack size, internal pressure, and loading conditions are investigated to assess their influence on pipeline integrity.   The results reveal that as internal pressure increases from 300 to 600 bar, the pipe’s bearing capacity significantly decreases due to heightened stress concentrations around crack tips, leading to increased hoop stress and Stress Intensity Factors (SIFs), which accelerate crack propagation. Higher pressures also promote crack nucleation and growth, further reducing the effective cross-sectional area and weakening the pipe's load-carrying ability. Additionally, the analysis highlights the critical influence of defect size (a/t ratio) on stress distribution and residual strength: as the a/t ratio increases, the pipe becomes more vulnerable to failure at lower stress levels. The critical crack size is identified at the intersection of the resistance curve and the ultimate stress line, beyond which failure occurs before reaching the material’s full strength. Non-physical regions, where resistance exceeds ultimate stress, are disregarded to ensure realistic defect assessments. Under an internal pressure of 30 MPa, pipes with a/t ratios of 0.50 and 0.62 remain within the safety zone, while those with a/t ratios of 0.75 and 0.80 enter the failure zone, indicating a substantial loss of structural integrity and an increased risk of fracture.

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References

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Published

2025-12-10

Issue

Diyala Journal of Engineering Sciences Vol. 18, No 4, December 2025

Section

Original Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Mohammed Amine Khater, Chaaban Aroussi, Elamine Abdelouahed, Bassam Gamal Nasser Muthanna, Mohamed Mokhtari, Habib Benzaama

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

[1]
“Numerical Assessment of Pipeline Damage Due to an External Circumferential Semi-Elliptical Crack”, DJES, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 73–82, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.24237/djes.2025.18405.

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