Prediction of force-deflection behaviour of pressurised pipes subjected to axially long radial indentation

The force-deflection behaviour of pressurised pipes, due to radial indentation loading, was investigated using Finite Element (FE) and analytical methods. Seven different materials, three different pipe geometries, seven different pressure levels and five different support conditions were used to investigate their effects on the force-deflection behaviour. The comparisons of the FE and analytical solutions indicate that an energy-based, analytical approach can accurately predict the force-deflection behaviour in both the elastic and elastic-plastic states.