Recent progresses in experimental investigation and finite element analysis of ratcheting in pressurized piping

This article presents an overview of recent progresses in experimental investigation and finite element analysis (FEA) of ratcheting behavior of pressurized piping. Ratcheting, namely the cyclic accumulation of plastic deformation, occurs when the structures are subjected to a primary load with a secondary cyclic load if the applied loads are high enough to make the structures yield. Typical piping structures including straight pipes, elbow pipes and piping joints have been investigated experimentally under mechanical or thermal cyclic loading. Finite element analyses with several well-developed constitutive models implemented in the commercial software ANSYS and ABAQUS have been conducted to simulate and predict the ratcheting behavior of pressurized piping. Based on such experimental and FEA research, ratcheting boundaries have been determined with the final aim of aiding the safety design and assessment of engineering piping structures. Some suggestions for structure ratcheting study are proposed.

► Researches on ratcheting behavior of pressurized piping components are reviewed.
► FE implementation of unified Armstrong–Frederic type models is introduced.
► FE analyses on ratcheting behavior & boundary of pressurized piping are discussed.