Experimental Study on the Stress of Curved Pipe Under Internal Pressure

The stress distribution of a curved pipe with an initial elliptic cross section under internal pressure was studied by using electric resistance strain method. The experimental results showed that both the circumferential and axial stresses around the cross section varied in a similar W shape, but the former was larger than the latter in absolute valume. The circumferential stress of the extrados is about 62.7% higher than the circumferential stress of straight pipe with the same section size and pressure, while the stress of the middle curve is less then zero. It is also indicated that the stress curves under internal pressure are different from those under in plane bending moments both in shape and in the location of the maximal stress.