Residual Stresses in Welded Elements:

Measurements, Fatigue Analysis

and Beneficial Redistribution
Y. Kudryavtsev and J. Kleiman
Structural Integrity Technologies, Inc.
(SINTEC)

www.sintec.ca
1

OUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATION

INTRODUCTION. RESIDUAL STRESS MANAGEMENT

MEASUREMENT OF RESIDUAL STRESSES BY
ULTRASONIC METHOD (UM)
FATIGUE IMPROVEMENT BY ULTRASONIC IMPACT
TREATMENT (UIT-UP)
EXAMPLES OF INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION OF UM
AND UIT-UP
SUMMARY

Importance of Residual Stresses

Residual Stresses in Welded Elements

Distribution of longitudinal (along the weld) and transverse

components of residual stresses along the butt weld toe

Effect of Residual Stresses

Fatigue curves of butt welded joint in low-carbon steel:

1 - without residual stresses;
2,3 - with high tensile residual stresses (fatigue testing and computation)

Effect of Residual Stresses

Fatigue curves of non-load caring fillet welded joint in high strength steel:
1 -in as welded condition;
2,3- after application of ultrasonic peening (fatigue testing and computation)

IMPORTANCE OF RESIDUAL STRESS

MANAGEMENT

RESIDUAL STRESS ORIGINATED FROM:

Differential plastic flow
Differential cooling rates
Phase transformations with volume changes etc.
RESIDUAL STRESSES ARE CREATED BY:
Welding
Machining
Forging
Rolling
Surface treatments
Casting
Heat treatment
WHERE RESIDUAL STRESSES ARE IMPORTANT:
Fatigue Life
Corrosion Resistance
Dimensional Stability
Brittle Fracture
Distortion

RESIDUAL STRESS MANAGEMENT

is an important component of the process of
DESIGN, MANUFACTURING, MAINTENANCE and REPAIR
of PARTS and WELDED ELEMENTS

STAGES IN RESIDUAL STRESS (RS)

MANAGEMENT
Stage 1: RS Determination
- MEASUREMENT: Destructive, Non-Destructive
- COMPUTATION

Stage 2: RS Effect Analysis

- EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES
- COMPUTATION

Stage 3: RS Modification (if required)

- CHANGES in TECHNOLOGY of MANUFACTORING / ASSEMBLY
- APPLICATION of STRESS - RELIEVING TECHNIQUES

RESIDUAL STRESS MANAGEMENT

Proposed Complex of Advanced Engineering Tools
Stage 1: RS Determination
Ultrasonic Measurement of Applied and Residual Stresses (UM)

Device and Software UltraMARS

Stage 2: RS Effect Analysis
Expert System for Fatigue Assessment and Optimization
of Parts and Welded Elements - RESIsT

Stage 3: RS Modification (if required)

Ultrasonic Peening of Parts and Welded Elements (UP/UIT)

Equipment and Software UltraPeen

The Ultrasonic Computerized Complex for measurement

of residual and applied stresses - UltraMARS

Ultrasonic Method of Residual Stress Measurement

Ultrasonic stress measurement techniques are based on the acousticelasticity effect, according to which the velocity of elastic wave
propagation in solids is dependent on the mechanical stress
C/C 10-3

, MPa
steel A (1)

steel B (2)

aluminum alloy (3)

- C SX3 ; - C SX2 ; x - C L

Acoustic-Elastic Relationships
C

2
lx1

=C

2
lx10

+C

2
lx1o

(a + b) kk2
2(< .+ < >) 110
110
< > ( 22
+ 330 )
(2b + c + 4 < > +

+
2
K
K
K
3
(
2
)
3
(
2
)
3
(
2
)

< > +2 <

<
>
+
<
>
<
>
<
>
+
<
>
<
>
+
<
>
0
0
0

2
Sx 2

=C

2
Sx 3

=C

2
Sx 20

2
Sx 30

+C

+C

2
Sx 20

2
Sx 30

< > +2 < > 0

kk0
2< >
c
0
0
0

+
+
+

1
b

11
22
33

11
<
>
<
>
<
>
<
>

3
3
3
4
K
K
K

0
0
0

< > +2 < > 0

kk0
2< >
c
0
0
0

11 + 33
22 1 +
+
b
+ 11
<
>

3
3
3
4
K
K
K
<
>
<
>
<
>

0
0
0

Clx1 is the longitudinal wave propagation velocity,

Csx2 and Csx3 are the polarized shear wave propagation
velocities,
011, 022 and 033 are the residual stresses in the
corresponding directions,
, , , a, b, c and K0 are material constants

>

The main technical characteristics

of UltraMARS measurement system:
- stress can be measured in materials with thickness 2 - 150 mm;
- error of stress determination (from external load): 5 - 10 MPa;
- error of residual stress determination: 0.1 y (yield strength) MPa;
- stress, strain and force measurement in fasteners (pins) 25-1000
mm;
- independent power supply (accumulator battery 12 V);
- overall dimensions of measurement device: 300x200x150 mm;
- weight of unit with sensors: 7 kg.

PRESENTATION OF THE RESIDUAL STRESS

MEASUREMENT DATA USING THE DEVELOPED SOFTWARE

Distribution of residual stresses in a low carbon steel plate

after local heating

Measurement of Residual Stresses by Ultrasonic Method

in Shipbuilding Applications

The process of RS measurement in welded samples and panel before fatigue testing

RS measurement at different locations (Line 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6)

of welded panel after 1, 2, 10 and 2000 cycles of loading

Distribution of RS near the end of stiffener

320

320

280
240

160
120
80
40
0
-40
-80

200
160
120
80
40
0
-40
-80
-120

-120

-160

-160

-200
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Distance from the Weld, mm

70

80

22
33

240

Residual Stresses, MPa

200

Residual Stresses, MPa

280

22
33

-240
0

10

20

30

40

Distance L, mm

Distribution of RS in welded ample along lines 1 and 2.1

50

60

70

Measurement of Residual Stresses

in a Welded Bridge

Residual Stress Measurement in One of the Welded

Elements of the Pressure Hull of Submarine

RESIDUAL STRESS MANAGEMENT

Expert System for Fatigue Assessment and Optimization
of Parts and Welded Elements - RESIsT
The RESIsT is an Expert System for optimization of welded elements and
structures by fatigue criterion. The following important parameters of welded
structures with the goal to enhance the fatigue performance are analyzed:
preferred design of parts and welded elements;
material selection;
welding and other technological processes;
residual stresses;
application of improvement treatments;
influence of possible repair technologies;
realistic service conditions.

Residual Stress in Fatigue Analysis

Fatigue curves of transverse loaded butt weld at R=0:

1 - with high tensile residual stresses;
2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 - with residual stresses
equals to 0 MPa, 200 MPa, 100 MPa, -100 MPa and -200 MPa

Technology and Equipment for Ultrasonic

Peening (UP) of Welded elements

Replaceable working heads

for different industrial applications

PRINCIPLE OF ULTRASONIC PEENING

The technique is based on the combined effect of the:

1. High frequency impacts of the special strikers

and

2. Ultrasonic oscillation in treated material.

The view of the butt welds

in as-welded condition (left side sample) and
after application of UP (right side sample)

The view of the fillet welds

in as-welded condition (left side sample) and
after application of UP (right side sample)

30mm

15mm

Effectiveness of UP in Manufacturing and Repair

250

max, MPa

200

2
150

1
100

10

7 8 9 6
10

N, cycles

Fatigue curves of welded element (transverse non-load-carrying attachment):

1 in as welded condition, 2 UP was applied before fatigue testing,
3 UP was applied after fatigue loading with the number of cycles corresponding
to 50% of expected fatigue life of samples in as-welded condition.

Effect of UP Treatment on Corrosion of Metals

A2 Steel

Not treated by UP

After UP treatment

HSLA Material
Not treated by UP

After UP treatment

The Advantages of UP:

High (highest) efficiency
Quick (treatment speed of ~ 0.5 m of weld/min)
Considerably reduced vibrations and noise
levels, easier in use than for example hammer
peening
Deeper penetration
Computer controllable
Robotic line - ready
Lighter with no need in forced water-cooling as
compared with similar magnetostrictive
systems.

Use of basic UP system for fatigue life

improvement of tubular welded joint

UP system installed on a robot

for automotive application

Ultrasonic Peening
of Welded Bridges

Rehabilitation of Welded Bridge by Ultrasonic

Peening (Indiana, USA)
Total Length of UP Treated Welds - 500 meters
Number of UP Treated Welded Elements -2500

Application of UP for Rehabilitation of

Mining Equipment
UP of Fatigue Critical Welds
of a Grinding Mill

Application of UP for Rehabilitation of

Stamping Equipment

UP of a Welded
Reinforcement
Plate

SUMMARY
1. Residual stresses play an important role in
operating performance of materials, parts and
structural elements. Their effect on the engineering
properties of materials such as fatigue and fracture,
corrosion resistance and dimensional stability can be
considerable. The residual stresses, therefore, should
be taken into account during design, fatigue
assessment and manufacturing of parts and welded
elements.

SUMMARY (continued)
2. The developed advanced ultrasonic method (UM),
based on it portable instrument and the supporting
software can be used for non-destructive residual
stress analysis in laboratory samples and real
structure elements in many applications for a wide
range of materials. The developed ultrasonic
technique was applied in construction industry,
shipbuilding, railway and highway bridges, aerospace
industry, oil and gas engineering and in other areas
during manufacturing, in service inspection and
repair of real parts and structures

SUMMARY (continued)
3. Ultrasonic Peening (UP/UIT) is a promising
technique for fatigue life improvement and could be
efficiently used for manufacturing, rehabilitation
and repair of welded elements and structures. The
developed computerized complex for UP was
successfully applied in different applications for
increasing of the fatigue life of welded elements,
elimination of distortions caused by welding and
other technological processes, residual stress
relieving, increasing of the hardness of the surface
of materials and surface nanocrystallization.