The instability of an asymmetric through-wall circumferential crack in a pipe subject to bending deformation

This paper examines the fracture instability of a pipe, fabricated from a ductile material such as 304 stainless steel, in which a circumferential cross-section contains a through-wall crack, the pipe being subject to bending deformation. The crack is situated asymmetrically with regards to the bending axis, and the theoretical analysis, which is based on the tearing modulus procedure, demonstrates the extent to which crack asymmetry influences the fracture instability criterion