Metal-composite pipes are feasible alternatives for deepwater applications where thermal insulation and structural behavior requirements must be met. They are composed of an inner metal pipe and an outer structural composite layer which act in combination to provide excellent structural strength and additional thermal insulation. In this work, the mechanical behavior of such pipes under external pressure is investigated through numerical analyses and experimental tests. Small scale models were tested under external pressure to calibrate a finite element based numerical model. The FE model incorporates nonlinear kinematics, progressive failure analyses of the composite layer, and metal elastic-plastic behavior. Unbounded interface between metal and composite was assumed through frictionless surface-based contact model in other to obtain a conservative estimate of the metal-composite pipe performance under external pressure.
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