A Description of Local Material Properties Close to a Butt Weld

The paper presents a methodology for the lifetime assessment of welded polymer pipes. A fracture mechanics analysis of a butt-welded joint is performed by simulating radial crack growth in the nonhomogenous region of the pipe weld. It was found that the presence of material nonhomogeneity in the pipe weld caused by the welding procedure leads to an increase in the stress intensity factor of the radial crack and changes the usual failure mode of the pipe system. This can lead to a significant reduction in the lifetime of the pipe system.