Stresses and strength of padeye to circular pipe connection

Abstract

The responses of different padeye to circular pipe connections, in terms of stresses and strengths, have been investigated through three dimensional finite element models and were compared to published results. It is observed that simplified two dimensional ring analysis is very conservative. The study found that the first yield load Py is a good indicator of connection strength. A padeye connection with main plate only is found to experience significant deflections and high stresses at the main plate/pipe intersection. The provision of stiffeners to the main plate improves the connection stiffness and enhances the connection strength. The strength enhancement is significant for stiffeners with stiffening angles up to 40°. There is a need to consider the potential lamellar tearing of the pipe wall and possible weld fracture. It is expected that future experimental tests will provide further insights into the behaviour of padeye to circular pipe connection.