Experimental study of bending capacity of steel pipes

11/29/2025

This work presents an experimental investigation into bending capacity of steel pipes, analysing how material properties, local defects, and loading conditions influence their structural performance. Three point bending tests were conducted on steel pipes with an outer diameter of 60 mm and wall thicknesses of 1.5 and 2 mm, under simply supported boundary conditions. The study evaluated the relationship between bending load and deformation characteristics, such as yield point, deflection, and failure modes. Parameters such as defect position and the angle between the defect and the indentation point were key variables in identifying critical points where deformation transitions from elastic to plastic and subsequently to structural failure. Additionally, numerical simulations using finite element method were carried out, enabling a detailed analysis of deformation at specific points and comparisons with analytical and experimental results. The evaluated metrics included maximum bending capacity, bending stiffness, and plastic deformation thresholds, providing relevant data on the pipes resistance under different conditions. The results identify critical factors that influence the performance of pipes in load-bearing applications, offering tools to improve design codes. This is particularly important for construction pipelines, and mechanical structures subjected to bending loads, contributing to the optimization of performance, safety and structural reliability.

Authors in the community:

• 

  J

  João Diogo Guerreiro Mota

  ist190801

  Affiliations and sources

  IST > CENTEC

  Centro de Engenharia e Tecnologia Naval e Oceânica

Supervisors of this institution:

• 

  B

  Baiqiao Chen

  ist33735

• 

  C

  Carlos Guedes Soares

  ist11869

mechanical-engineering - Mechanical engineering

por - Portuguese

Instituto Superior Técnico