Casing Design

Triaxial stress analysis

Aguieb Larbi
Ben Yagoub Mohammed
Prepared by: Tan Nguyen

Casing Design

Combined Stress Effects (Triaxial stress analysis)

The fundamental basis of casing design is that if stresses in the pipe

wall exceed the yield strength of the material, a failure condition
exists. Hence the yield strength is a measure of the maximum
allowable stress. To evaluate the pipe strength under combined
loading conditions, the uniaxial yield strength is compared to the
yielding condition.

The most widely accepted yielding criterion is based on the

maximum

distortion

energy

theory,

which

is

known

as

the

Huber-Von-Mises Theory. This theory states that if the triaxial stress

exceeds the yield strength, a yield failure is indicated. Note that the
triaxial stress is not a true stress. It is a theoretical value that allows a
generalized three-dimensional stress state to be compared with a
uniaxial failure criterion (the yield strength).

Casing Design

s VME

1
2

s z s t 2 s t s r 2 s r s z 2 s Y

Where
sY minimum yield stress, psi

sVME triaxial stress, psi

VME: Von Mises Equivalent
sz, st, sr axial tress, tangential
stress, and radial stress, psi

(1)

Casing Design

Setting the triaxial stress equal to the yield strength and solving
equation (1) give the results:

s t pi
3 s z pi
1
sY
4 sY

1 s pi
z
2 sY

(2)

pi internal pressure
st tangential stresses

(3)

This equation is for the ellipse of plasticity. Combining this eq. and
the equation of tangential stresses together and let r = ri, will give
the combinations of internal pressure, external pressure and axial
stress that will result in a yield strength mode of failure.

Casing Design

As

axial

increases
In

tension
and

contrast,

critical

increases, the

the
as

critical

burst-pressure

critical collapse-pressure decreases.

the

burst-pressure

axial compression increases, the

decreases

collapse-pressure increases.

and

the

critical

Casing Design

Example
Compute the nominal collapse pressure rating for 5.5, N-80 casing
with a nominal wall thickness of 0.476 and a nominal weight per
foot of 26 lbf/ft. In addition, determine the collapse pressure for
in-service conditions in which the pipe is subjected to a 40,000 psi
axial tension stress and a 10,000 psi internal pressure. Assume a
yield strength mode of failure.

Solution
For collapse pressure rating, r = ri then eq. (3) becomes

pi ro2 ri 2 2 pe ro2
st
ro2 ri 2

s t pi

sY

pi ro2 ri 2 2 pe ro2
pi
2
2
ro ri

sY

s t pi 2ro2 pi pe

2
2
sY
ro ri s Y
pi pe
s t pi 25.52

2
sY
5.5 4.548 80,000

s t pi pi pe
pe

sY
12,649 12,649

Casing Design

From eq. (2) with

s z pi
0 we have
sY

s t pi
1
sY
pe
1
12,649

pe 12,649 psi

For in-service conditions of sz = 40,000 psi and pi = 10,000 psi

s t pi 10,000 p e

sY
12,649
s z pi 40,000 10,000

0.625
sY
80,000
Solving eq. (14) gives

s t pi 10,000 pe

0.5284
sY
12,649

p e 16,684 psi