An engineering approach for design and analysis of metallic pipe joints under torsion by the finite element method

Design and stress analysis of pipe joints are still matters of controversy with respect to a unified design approach, despite the fact that many exact and finite element solutions have been presented in the literature. Owing to the complicated and lengthy nature of most exact solutions, development of an applied method for optimized design and stress analysis of a strong and low-cost joint remains a pressing issue. In this work, a simple method was developed for assessing the behaviour of adhesively bonded tubular joints under torsion, based on a parametric study conducted by ABAQUS finite element software. Many case studies of typical metallic joints under torsion were considered for examining the interactions among the main parameters governing the joint performance (i.e. adhesive thickness, pipe and coupling thickness/diameter, joint length, and material properties). Finally, a prototypical joint was designed by using the developed design curves, and the stress distributions were verified by the same software.