%0 Journal Article
	%A Hamid Ahmadi and  Shadi Asoodeh
	%D 2015
	%J International Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering
	%B World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology
	%I Open Science Index 102, 2015
	%T Degree of Bending in Axially Loaded Tubular KT-Joints of Offshore Structures: Parametric Study and Formulation
	%U https://publications.waset.org/pdf/10001611
	%V 102
	%X The fatigue life of tubular joints commonly found in
offshore industry is not only dependent on the value of hot-spot stress
(HSS), but is also significantly influenced by the through-thethickness
stress distribution characterized by the degree of bending
(DoB). The determination of DoB values in a tubular joint is essential
for improving the accuracy of fatigue life estimation using the stresslife
(S–N) method and particularly for predicting the fatigue crack
growth based on the fracture mechanics (FM) approach. In the
present paper, data extracted from finite element (FE) analyses of
tubular KT-joints, verified against experimental data and parametric
equations, was used to investigate the effects of geometrical
parameters on DoB values at the crown 0°, saddle, and crown 180°
positions along the weld toe of central brace in tubular KT-joints
subjected to axial loading. Parametric study was followed by a set of
nonlinear regression analyses to derive DoB parametric formulas for
the fatigue analysis of KT-joints under axial loads. The tubular KTjoint
is a quite common joint type found in steel offshore structures.
However, despite the crucial role of the DoB in evaluating the fatigue
performance of tubular joints, this paper is the first attempt to study
and formulate the DoB values in KT-joints.
	%P 707 - 716