Residual stress stability of HFMI-treated transverse attachments under variable amplitude loading with the P(1/3) and the linear spectrum

Abstract

The potential of HFMI treatment to increase fatigue life under service loading remains in debate. However, some recent studies show that even under variable amplitude loading (VAL), fatigue strength is increased compared to untreated welds. Discussions generally focus on the stability of initial compressive residual stresses, which may be reduced during VAL due to high peak stresses. In this context, the potential of HFMI treatment is often only attributed to residual stress stability. This study presents further results on the effect of VAL with a P(1/3) and a linear load spectrum on the residual stress stability of HFMI-treated transverse stiffeners (TS) made of mild steel (S355) and high-strength steel (S700M). The impact of random, High-Low and Low-High loading sequences on the fatigue strength as well as on the residual stress behaviour of HFMI-treated joints will be discussed.