Fracture toughness evaluation of multipass weld HAZ considering the strength mismatch effect

Abstract

Summary This paper describes HAZ‐notched CTOD tests of multipass welds in SMYS = 420–460 MPa class high‐strength steels for offshore structural applications. The weld metal strength overmatch causes different fracture behaviour depending on the actual CGHAZ toughness. When the CGHAZ is completely embrittled, the weld metal strength overmatch leads to the lower bound critical CTOD value. This is due to elevation of the local stress in the CGHAZ caused by the restraint effect of the overmatched weld metal. The fracture surface is generally flat, and brittle fracture originates from the CGHAZ sampled by the fatigue crack front. A larger fraction of the CGHAZ along the crack front gives a smaller critical CTOD value. When the CGHAZ has moderate toughness, however, the weld metal strength overmatch may produce a higher critical CTOD value at brittle fracture initiation. This is due to crack growth path deviation towards the base metal. Plastic deformation preferentially accumulates to a greater extent on the s...