The influence of production inconsistencies on the functional failure of GRP pipes

In this study, a progressive damage modeling is developed to predict functional failure pressure of GRP pipes subjected to internal hydrostatic pressure. The modeling procedure predicts both first-ply failure pressure and functional failure pressure associated with the weepage phenomenon. The modeling procedure is validated using experimental observations. The random parameters attributed to the filament winding production process are identified. Consequently, stochastic simulation is conducted to investigate the influence of induced inconsistencies on the functional failure pressures of GRP pipes. The obtained results are compared to realize the degree to which random parameters affect the performance of the pipe in operation.