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Welding residual stress behavior under mechanical loading

HENRY GRANJON PRIZE COMPETITION 2012 Winner Category C: Design and Structural Integrity

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Abstract

For an accurate estimation of the fatigue performance of welded joints, not only the initial residual stress field but also its variation under load is decisive. The portion of residual stress which stays stable can shift the load stress range much the same way as the mean stresses do in fatigue loading. The relaxation of residual stresses during fatigue loading however reduces this hazard to the structural health. That is, before considering the influence of residual stresses in fatigue, the effect of fatigue on residual stresses should be understood. In this work, the influence of the quasi-static and cyclic loading on the relaxation of welding residual stresses in small specimens and large components out of different steels namely S235JRG2, S355J2G3, P460NL, S690QL, S960QL, and S1100QL has been investigated experimentally. X-ray diffraction analysis as a reliable method has been used for the determination of residual stress profiles in surface layers. For residual stress analysis in deeper layers, synchrotron and neutron diffraction techniques were applied as complementary methods. A clear recognition of the difference between initial welding residual stresses in small- and large-scale specimens was observed. Tensile residual stresses as high as the yield strength could appear in large-scale welded specimens. That was not the case for small-scale welds due to the low grade of restraint. Nevertheless, in both types of samples, the highest residual stresses were obtained in the weld centerline. At the weld toe which is critical regarding fatigue crack initiation, the magnitude of the residual stresses is lower. Beside of that, it was observed that in the case of relaxation, the first load cycles especially in components out of low-strength steels are decisive. The influence of loading conditions and local mechanical properties on the relaxation of welding residual stresses was investigated based on principles of solid mechanics. The von Mises failure criterion was able to describe the relaxation behavior.

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Abbreviations

FAT:

Characteristic fatigue strength of a detail at 2 × 106 cycles

f(R):

Enhancement factor according to IIW Recommendation

σ L :

Load stress

σ RS :

Residual stress

R e :

Monotonic yield strength

R e, cycl. :

Cyclic yield strength

M :

Mean stress sensitivity

σ i (i = 1, 2, 3):

Principal stress components

Cr-Kα:

X-ray radiation with Cr as target K as primary excited atomic shell, L as supplying electron shell

2θ :

Diffraction angle

Ψ :

Tilt angle of a diffractometer

TIG:

Tungsten inert gas

HAZ:

Heat affected zone

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Acknowledgments

The investigations presented here were supported by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft—DFG) as part of the project “Residual stress relaxation in welded high-strength steel under cyclic loading.” The project was carried out at the Institute of Joining and Welding (IFS) of the University of Braunschweig. The author wishes to express his sincere thanks to the DFG and IFS for their support. The Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and Forschungsquelle Heinz Maier- Leibnitz (FRM II) in Munich are acknowledged for facilitating the synchrotron and neutron experiments. He is also particularly grateful for the help and encouragement he has received from Dr. -Ing. Thomas Nitschke-Pagel during the progress of this work.

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  1. Institute of Joining and Welding, University of Braunschweig, Langer Kamp 8, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany

    Majid Farajian

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  1. Majid Farajian
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Correspondence to Majid Farajian.

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Doc. IIW-2339, recommended for publication by Commission XIII “Fatigue of Welded Components and Structures”

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Farajian, M. Welding residual stress behavior under mechanical loading. Weld World 57, 157–169 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40194-013-0024-8

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