Characterization of a resonant bending fatigue test setup for pipes

Abstract

This paper discusses the resonant bending fatigue test setup designed at laboratory Soete forfull-scale fatigue tests on pipes. Following an enumeration of other types of fatigue test setups an attempt ismade to characterise the resonant bending machine. The characterisation is obtained by conductingdifferent tests on a steel pipe of grade API X65. Concordance between measured and calculated stressesand influence of excentre position on stress amplitude is discussed. High frequencies and small powerinput make this test setup very effective. The analytical model correctly predicts the measured stresses anda stress versus excentre curve is obtained. However not yet fully defined, it gives a first indication for theexcentre position when preparing for a fatigue test.