Experimental Limit Load of Forged Piping Branch Junctions and Comparison with Existing Solutions

Limit load test results from fourteen forged piping branch junctions are reported. Eight were uncracked. Three had outside, non-through wall cracks running parallel to the run pipe centerline at the flank and the others had crotch corner cracks among the selected specimens. The collapse behaviors such as bulging deformation at the side flanks of junctions with and without crack were depicted. Based on the experimental data, the relationships of limit load with structural dimension and crack size were then summarized and the existing solutions were evaluated in use of the test results.