Buried pipelines are subjected to various types of loads, including external pressure from soil overburden and internal pressure from pressurized fluids. These loads can induce axial and hoop stresses, which are the primary factors leading to the formation of integrity threats, such as cracks. The presence of cracks can render a pipeline susceptible to failure, posing a significant threat to its operation, safety, and the environment. This underscores the importance of promptly detecting and evaluating even seemingly minor surface defects, as they can significantly damage the structural integrity of the pipeline. It is also crucial to accurately predict the failure pressures of pipelines with cracks to ensure that the operating pressure remains below this critical limit with an adequate margin of safety. A variety of approaches exist for assessing cracks in pipes, including empirical approaches such as MAT-8, Ln-Sec and CorLASTM models, as well as numerical approaches like the extended finite element method (XFEM). XFEM is a powerful tool to estimate the failure pressures of pipelines containing cracks. It extends the capabilities of the traditional Finite Element Method (FEM) and offers a more effective means of simulating crack propagation. In ABAQUS, initial cracks can be modelled in either sharp or blunted shapes. However, it is uncertain whether the shape of the crack affects the failure pressures of cracked pipelines. For this purpose, detailed parametric studies are necessary to investigate the implications of pre-existing cracking shapes on the ductile fracture response of pipes subjected to pure mode I loading.

来源平台：PROCEEDINGS OF ASME 2024 PRESSURE VESSELS & PIPING CONFERENCE, PVP2024, VOL 2