Bulging factor of a longitudinal crack in pressurized cylindrical shell with a reinforcing layer

•Effect of reinforcing layer on the bulging factor of a crack in cylindrical shell.•Parametric finite element modeling of various loading cases and configurations.•Used the modified crack closure integral technique to determine bulging factor.•Expressions for the bulging factor of a crack in a pressurized cylindrical shell.

Bulging factor expressions for a longitudinal crack in a pressurized cylindrical shell with a reinforcing layer are developed. In this study, a parametric finite element model was constructed, validated (based on experimental data) and used to simulate various shell configurations. A Python script automates the execution, data collection and calculation of the bulging factor for 2592 configurations using the commercial code ABAQUS. Candidate expressions for the bulging factor are selected based on physical arguments and fitted using stress displacement data obtained previously; several expressions were found to be in good agreement with finite element data.