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Effects of flaws and corrosion
on the structural integrity of welds

Are fitness-for-service standards unambiguous?

What is the role of material properties?
How can experiments help us?
and how about numerical models?

Prof. dr. ir. Stijn Hertel

Ghent University, Belgium

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

 Welds are a potential weakest structural link

Environment
Alignment Welding
of pipes? parameters?

Material?

Welder skills?

Stijn HertelSoete
Laboratory Stijn
- Lecture Hertel Noord
Lasgroep Public-PhD
8 Juni 2017 May 22nd, 2012
defence 2
Image source: lincolnelectric.com
Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017
Welds are far from flawless

What made this weld survive 65 years of operation?!

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 Weld defect economics: repair or tolerate a safety risk?

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NDT
Imperfection
Source: applusrtd.com

Accept WMS Cheap but very conservative

Safe
Potentially
Economical unsafe (defect)
considerations
Perform
Repair
ECA? N
Y

Accept Safe ECA

Potentially
unsafe WMS: workmanship
ECA: engineering critical assessment
Repair (= fitness-for-service or FFS)

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 4

 Weld economics:
the potential benefit of ECA

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Imperfection
height a
More critical cases
(w.r.t. ease of repair,
number of defects found)

2c
a More input
required

Level 3

pot. unsafe (defect) Level 2 ECA

WMS safe
Level 1

Imperfection length 2c

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 5

 Where to search?

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

Cookbook recepies
Standards for workmanship and fitness-for-service

towards weld assessment

6

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 Idea:

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

Cooking can be difficult

working with the wrong ingredients

Diagnosis:
Result:

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 Idea:

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

Cooking can be difficult

working with the wrong ingredients

Diagnosis:
Result:

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Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017
Base
metal
HAZ

Weld
metal

defect
Surface
breaking
(sometimes)
Current ECA procedures are based on highly

Base
metal
simplified representations of welds (idealized welds)

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 The importance of analysis input (ingredients):
Variability of properties hampers a clear-cut analysis

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12
Four macrographs originating from
the same circumferential pipe weld 9 3
(having operated for 65 years) 6

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 10

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017
provides valuable insights
Measuring is knowing: mechanical testing of welds

but is expensive!
11

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 circumferential weld defect

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

Finite element model of pipe containing a

weld with defect

How about numerical modelling as an alternative?

crap in = crap out

12

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 Outline of this talk

Workmanship How to improve?

ECA The role of materials

How to support?

Experimental Numerical
testing modelling

How to optimize How to validate?

result/cost balance?
Two case studies: Weld corrosion assessment
Assessment of heterogeneous welds
Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 13
 Who are we?

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 14

 Soete Laboratory is part of Ghent Universitys
Tech Lane Ghent Science Park site

Offices

Soete
Laboratory
Test hall

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 15

 Whats in a name? Walter Soete
Director of lab, 1946-1982

Fracture mechanics pioneer

Emphasis on large scale testing

Soete Laboratory

Test hall

63 m

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 1000 m 16

 Large scale test infrastructure

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 17

 (5 kg)
240

170
Vickers
hardness

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

Vickers hardness mapping
Supporting small scale testing, for instance:

4 Vickers indentations / mm

18

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 Strategic alliances into metals research

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IOF
(Industrieel OnderzoeksFonds)

e.g.: Devoted to
MSC seminar - establishing industrial relations
"Industrial examples of structural - screening research opportunities
integrity of metal structures" - contract negotiations

(18/5/2017)

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 19

 Outline of this talk

Workmanship
ECA

Experimental Numerical
testing modelling

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 20

 Fracture mechanics:
adding a dimension to material resistance

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Safety factor
Safety factor
Yield Fracture
0 strength 0 toughness
Stress Crack driving force

e.g.
Crack Tip Opening Displacement
(CTOD)

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 21

 The concept of CTOD

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Original crack tip
CTOD

Applied CTOD Allowable CTOD

(as a function of load, (CTOD toughness)
geometry, defect dimensions)
CTOD testing
Analytical solutions
Finite element analysis

twi-global.com

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 22

 CTOD

CMOD

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

stable crack extension

notch
Original

crack mouth opening displacement

Crack extension
In addition to crack opening, there may be

ductile tearing

23

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 Advanced fracture mechanics concepts take
into account plasticity and stable crack extension

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Safety factor
Safety factor
Yield Fracture
0 strength 0 toughness
Stress Crack driving force

becomes becomes

stress crack
driving
force

Stress-strain R-curve
curve

strain crack extension

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 24
 Example R-curve
W2G4
3

2
CTOD (mm)

0
0 1 2
Crack extension Da (mm)

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 25

 ECA is a fracture mechanics based
assessment of structural integrity

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NDT
uncertainty

Defect

ECA
Applied Strength
conditions Toughness

Compendia Laboratory
of analytical testing
solutions

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 26

 Essential to ECA:
knowledge of weld properties and validity limits

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property 2
(e.g., toughness related)

ECA valid

no ECA predictions possible

property 1 (e.g., strength related)

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 27

 Workmanship should be associated with little or no
validity criteria

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property 2
(e.g., toughness related)

Workmanship valid

This comes
at the cost of
high conservatism
property 1 (e.g., strength related)

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 28

 Example WMS rule

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

Source: API 1104 - 2013

29

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 Outline of this talk

Workmanship
ECA

Experimental Numerical
testing modelling

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 30

 Two purposes of experimental testing

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Supporting an analytical ECA or workmanship analysis
(establishing validity)

Small scale, standardized testing

twi-global.com

Eliminating the need for analytics

(Experimental level 3 ECA)

Large (preferably full) scale,

non-standardized testing

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 31

 Mechanical experiments are expensive:
try to maximize their output!

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Two strategies:

Advanced test settings

Crack extension characterization by means of stiffness
(unloading compliance)

Increasing the amount / value of sensor output

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 32

 Force (kN)

1000
1500

0
500

0.00

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

1.00
2WP2

CMOD (mm)
Crack depth is related to stiffness

2.00
1/UC
Stiffness is measured by unloading compliance

33
CMOD: crack mouth opening displacement

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Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017
Specimen is breathing
Unloading compliance testing:

34

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 Unloading compliance (m/kN)

0.05
0.10
0.15

0%
2%

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

Crack
extends

Applied strain (%)

4%
Compliance increases as a crack extends

1/UC

35

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 Crack growth calculations in fracture toughness
testing: fairly accurate

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4.0 4.0
Calculated final crack growth (mm)

3.0 3.0
Da t,uc,f (mm)

Da t,uc,f (mm)
2.0 2.0

1.0 1.0

0.0 0.0
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 0.0 1.0 2.0
Da 9p crack
Observed final (mm)growth (mm) Da t,pd,f (mm)
(a)
Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017
(b)36
 Mechanical experiments are expensive:
try to maximize their output!

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Two strategies:

Advanced test settings

Crack growth characterization by means of stiffness
(unloading compliance)

Increasing the amount / value of sensor output

Multiphysics approach:
e.g. optical measurements

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 37

 3D Digital image correlation (DIC):
optical profilometry and full field strain analysis

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2 cameras
(3D view) Undeformed Deformed
specimen specimen
Reference In-plane strains

Digital image correlation
software
Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 38
 Size doesnt matter
Full-field strain distributions

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Miniature tension test 2 mm

Cross weld tension test 15 mm

Single-edge notched tension 15 mm

(SENT) test

Medium curved wide plate 150 mm

(MWP) test
200 mm
Full scale pipe tension test

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 39

 Case studies where DIC aided the interpretation of an
(expensive) test

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Miniature tension test

Cross weld tension test

Single-edge notched tension

(SENT) test

Medium curved wide plate

(MWP) test
200 mm
Full scale pipe tension test

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 40

 WT 7 mm
OD 265 mm

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

Widened pipe connection old practice (1920s)

where would you think it may fail under tension load?

41

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Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017
DIC reveals the weakest spots of this connection

42

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 Outline of this talk

Workmanship
ECA

Experimental
testing

Case study 1: Weld corrosion assessment

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 43

 Pipe corrosion management

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Underground pipelines are protected against corrosion by two barriers:
a protective coating.
a cathodic protection system (CP).

Coating on a pipe is usually applied in the pipe mill while coating on the
girth weld is applied on site usually in lesser controlled conditions
corrosion concentrates in the girth weld area.

In some cases this can lead to shielding

of the cathodic protection system and result in corrosion.

Example of a defective
girth weld coating
Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 44
 Standards cookbook?
Freedom in choosing ingredients

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Extract from ASME B31G-2012
(Manual for determining the
All very nice and well
remaining strength of corroded pipelines) but is this weld tough
enough?

In practice

constructed in 1966
Specification for weld material in 1966
was 28J Charpy U (1/1, -20C)

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 45

 The effect on maintenance economics is significant

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From the specifications: ASME B31 G code can be applied on pipelines
constructed in 1983 and later.
For pipelines constructed before this date: unclear if toughness criterion
could be met decided to accept only metal loss in the girth weld cap.

Corrosion limit for

pre-1983 pipe

About 6 9 cut outs per year, representing 120 180 k maintenance cost.

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 46

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017
Unacceptable weld, according to the criterion

3D profilometry (DIC)

47

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 Launch of experimental research program (2012-)

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Indications from literature:

20% - 30% metal loss is acceptable independent of toughness

Question to Soete Laboratory to investigate:

how conservative is current Fluxys practice?

is the indicated workmanship criterion above correct?
effects of geometry and material (ECA procedure)?

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 48

 Launch of experimental research program (2012-)

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Workmanship
Focus on weld related properties
ECA

Geometry misalignment (hi-lo)

corrosion metal loss

Experimental Material toughness (Charpy V-notch)

testing
weld strength mismatch

Load residual stresses

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 49

Workmanship and ECA of corroded girth welds

Experimental
programme

Trends &
influences

Workmanship &
ECA

50
Workmanship and ECA of corroded girth welds

Experimental
programme

Trends &
influences

Workmanship &
ECA

51
 Ten girth welds were extracted from the
Belgian gas grid

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Weld API 5L OD WT
Pipe seam
number grade () (mm)
1 X46 Seamless 14 6.4
2 X60 S-SAW 20 5.6
3 X60 S-SAW 20 5.6
4 X60 L-SAW 16 6.5
5 X60 L-SAW 20 7.2
6 X46 Seamless 14 6.4
7 X60 D-SAW 36 10.2
8 X60 D-SAW 36 12.2
Years of installation:
9 X60 D-SAW 36 10.2 1960s-70s
10 X60 D-SAW 36 12.2

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 52

 Simulation of weld and HAZ corrosion attack by
milling away material

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Not representative for sharp corrosion such as SCC!

Reduction between 5% and 36% of wall thickness

base metal /
HAZ weld metal base metal /
HAZ

5 mm

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 53

 Profile (mm)

0
1
2
3
4

0
(hi)

10
pipe A

Needle
20
Traverse
weld

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

30
traverse
(mm)
average of three paths
Depth of weld metal loss:

40
(mm)
Left

Right
(lo)

Center
pipe B

50
left

right
center

54

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 Phase 1: Thirty-three medium wide plate tests
have been performed at room temperature

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blunt corrosion
damage (machined)
500
girth weld
mm

120 mm ( 20 OD pipe)
150 mm (36 OD pipe)

Soete Laboratorys
Tension load 2.5 MN universal test rig
Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 55
Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017
full field strain analysis

0%
Axial strain
3D digital image correlation for profilometry and

13%

56

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 Example test

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

57

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Workmanship and ECA of corroded girth welds

Experimental
programme

Trends &
influences

Workmanship &
ECA

58
 Assessment criterion: gross section yielding

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Pipe A Pipe B

Rp0.2,A Rp0.2,B

Stress (MPa)
Weld acceptable if
Rp0.2,A
Rp0.2,B
Relative failure stress > 100%

Failure stress
min(Rp0.2,A, Rp0.2,B)
Displacement (mm)

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 59

 Load bearing capacity decreases as
wall thickness reduction is increased

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160

150 reason for scatter?

(ECA)
Relative failure stress (%)

140

130
Relative
failure 120
stress (%) Gross section yielding
110
(axial stress =
100 yield strength weakest plate)

90 workmanship?
80
0 10 20 30 40
Relative wall thickness reduction (%)

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 60

 Three weld related influence factors
were identified

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High weld strength overmatch
Reduces strain in weld

Low pipe steel Y/T-ratio

Reduces strain in HAZ

Low weld misalignment
Avoids local bending strains in weld

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 61

 Understanding a poor weld required
detailed knowledge of material behaviour

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160

150
Relative failure stress (%)

140

130

120

110 Little misalignment

Strain hardening reasonable
100
Strength overmatching weld
90
why at the lower bound
80 of the scatter band?
0 10 20 30 40
Relative wall thickness reduction (%)

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 62

 150
HV5

216

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

but highly heterogeneous

5 mm

Undamaged: 5.4% overmatch average (based on HV)

The poor weld is strength overmatching on average,

63

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 150
HV5

216

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

After application of weld metal loss, its
strength properties are suddenly weak

After metal loss: 2.5% undermatch average

5 mm

64

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 Severe misalignment is detrimental to load bearing
capacity

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Undeformed Initial misalignment:
25% of wall thickness

First
principal
strain (-)
Deformed (close to failure)
0.13 Misalignment has
flattened out

Severe local bending,

which contributes to failure

0.00
Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 65
 Workmanship and ECA of corroded girth welds

Experimental
programme

Trends &
influences

Workmanship &
ECA

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Zuid-Limburg - 13 September 2016 66

 Workmanship criterion:
Its all about easy validity limits!

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160
20% wall thickness
150 reduction is acceptable,
Relative failure stress (%)

140
provided
130
Relative
failure 120 - weld is evenmatching
stress (%) - weld is free of defects
110

100 - toughness criterion?

Preferably not!
90 workmanship? PHASE 2

80
0 10 20 30 40
Relative wall thickness reduction (%)

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 67

 ECA: calculations should be safe and sound

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Can effects of key influence
parameters be

objectively Soundness of
collapse based approach

conservatively Safe practical applicability

predicted?

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Zuid-Limburg - 13 September 2016 68

 Plastic collapse assessment according to
BS7910:2013

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Failure stress

max
= f(geometry)
f (NOT: residual stress)

Degree of
Flow stress conservatism

Important point: effect of weld misalignment is based on

linear-elastic stress concentration factor
Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Zuid-Limburg - 13 September 2016 69
 Definition of flow stress: safe or objective

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f =
Modified ASME B31G
Developed for vintage steel (low Y/T)
SMYS(base metal) + 69 MPa Criterion for weld strength mismatch
Should yield safe predictions

Test database studies

actual TS(weld metal) Validated for pipe body corrosion
Should yield objective predictions

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Zuid-Limburg - 13 September 2016 70

 Axial failure stress,
predicted by Eq. (5) (MPa)

200
300
400
500
600

200
1:1
Unsafe

300
Safe
f =

TSweld

400
Axial failure stress, predicted (MPa)

SMYS + 69 MPa

500
Axial failure stress,
experimental (MPa)
600
Predicted versus observed failure stresses

undesirably
(not below)

of conservatism
excessive degree
should be around 1:1

71

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 Actual failure stress /
predicted value (-)

failure stress (-)

Actual / predicted

0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4

0
Conservatism is introduced by

Lineair ( )

15
overestimated effect of misalignment

(% of wall thickness)
Relative misalignment e/B (%)
30

72

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 deformation

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Zuid-Limburg - 13 September 2016

0%
Axial strain
Linear-elastic misalignment correction does not
account for flattening of misalignment upon plastic

13%

73

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Better predictions are obtained by the
introduction of effective weld misalignment

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f = TSweld
1.4 Lineair ( )

Actual failure stress /

predicted value (-)
1.2

Actual / predicted
1.0
failure stress (-)

0.8
Elastic-plastic stress
concentration factor
0.6
(instead of purely elastic) 0 5 10
(%)(%)
Relative effective misalignment e/B
74
 Axial failure stress,
predicted by Eq. (5) (MPa)

200
300
400
500
600

200
1:1
Unsafe

300
Safe
f =

TSweld
Axial failure stress, predicted (MPa)

400
SMYS + 69 MPa

500
Axial failure stress,
experimental (MPa)
600
The effective misalignment concept is sound

around 1:1

of conservatism
acceptable degree

75

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Workmanship and ECA of corroded girth welds
Detailed weld characterization
Experimental
Medium wide plate testing with DIC
programme

Weld strength and misalignment

Trends & No influence of toughness
influences

20% metal loss criterion

Workmanship & Plastic collapse assessment
ECA

76
 Outline of this talk

Workmanship
ECA

Experimental Numerical
testing modelling

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 77

 (e.g. CTOD)
Derived quantities
Stress-strain at all points

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

(also within the structure)
CTOD
Simulations generate more output than experiments

78

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 Numerical modelling: creating a virtual lab

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Parameter space
Parametric Geometry
study

Finite element Materials

analysis

When running properly: Conditions

no experimental scatter
cheap experiments

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 79

 Who t(h)rusts zeros and ones?

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specific authorization of UGent CONFIDENTIAL privileged information UGent proprietary information.
The Mars Climate Orbiter disintegrates in space
(1998):

NASA's $655-million robotic space probe plowed into

Mars's upper atmosphere at the wrong angle, burning
up in the process. The problem? In the software that
ran the ground computers the thrusters' output was
calculated in the wrong units (poundseconds instead
of newtonseconds, as the NASALockheed contract
had specified).

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/pogue-5-most-embarrassing-software-bugs-in-history/
image: Wikipedia

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 80

 Validation
analysis

Experiments
Finite element

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

study
Parametric

The difficult stage: model validation

Geometry

Conditions
Parameter space

Materials

81

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Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017
(a) DIC
Example model validation

(b) FEA
(w.r.t. strain distribution predictions)

11 (-)

0.000
0.035

82

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 Potential for accurate weld modelling
is generally not fully exploited

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General approach (e.g. used for standardized ECA procedures)

Real world

Actual weld
(complex)

??? Analytical ECA

FE analysis

Idealized weld Idealized weld

(simple) (simple)

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 83

 FE analysis
Real world

(complex)
(complex)

Actual weld
Actual weld

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

???

(simple)
Analytical ECA
Soete Laboratorys philosophy is different

Idealized weld

84

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 Example: modifying the weld to its desired shape:
Nodal coordinate transformations

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Flat plate, Curved plate,
simplified weld geometry detailed weld geometry

Easy to model
Coordinate
transformations

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 85

 Understanding of weld behaviour is aided by
automated analysis pre- and postprocessing

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Models constructed by
object-oriented scripting
(rather than CAD-based)

Automated construction
of parametric studies

FE analysis Analytical ECA

Actual weld Idealized weld

(complex) (simple)

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 86

 SENT test
CTOD test
configurations

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

Spider-web
crack tip mesh
curved
wide plate
In-house developed models of a wide range of

full pipe

87

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specific authorization of UGent CONFIDENTIAL privileged information UGent proprietary information.
 Outline of this talk

Workmanship
ECA

Experimental Numerical
testing modelling

Case study 2: Assessment of heterogeneous welds

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 88

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017
Weld heterogeneity is a fact of life

Hardness variations up to 50% have been observed at Soete Laboratory

89

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 Crack driving force in heterogeneous welds: What
properties matter?

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Potential influence of

Average properties
of entire weld

Surrounding External
properties
load
Properties
at flaw tip

Flaw

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 90

 The current ECA treatment of weld heterogeneity
is fairly simplistic

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e.g. EU FITNET (fitness-for-service) procedure, MK8 (2008)

6.3.3.1

It should be recognised that weld tensile properties may vary through the
thickness of a component and may be dependent on specimen orientation.
The range of weld metal microstructures sampled can often lead to a high
degree of scatter. The use of the lowest tensile properties irrespective of
orientation and position is necessary to provide a conservative result.

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 91

 FE analysis
Real world

(complex)
(complex)

Actual weld
Actual weld

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

(simple)
Analytical ECA

Idealized weld
Going back to Soete Laboratorys philosophy

92

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 FE analysis
Real world

(complex)
(complex)

Actual weld
Actual weld

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

(simple)
Analytical ECA

Idealized weld
Going back to Soete Laboratorys philosophy

93

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 Modelling of heterogeneous welds,
by assigning element-specific material properties

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Each element is linked to its
corresponding hardness value
obtained from a hardness map

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 94

 Relation between Vickers hardness and stress-strain
properties (hardness transfer function)?

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Accurate: Simple:
Miniature tensile testing Standards
1000
Rm
ISO18265
Rp0.2
800

Rp0.2,

5
600
0 .2
Rm ISO15653:
(MPa) base metal
.5

weld metal
R1

400
2

R1

4.5 9 200
0.5
21 100 200 300 400
Vickers hardness HV

Comparison with local HV indentations Which one to choose?

allows to calibrate the transfer function
Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 95
 2 mm

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

10 px
60 m
Miniature tensile testing at Soete Laboratory

96

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Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017
Miniature tensile testing at Soete Laboratory

97

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 Tensile force (kN)

70
80
90
100
110

0.0
0.2

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

0.4
Plastic CTOD (mm)
Simulation
Experiment
Experimental validation of the

0.6
heterogeneity modelling approach

Based on SENT testing

98

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 FE analysis
Real world

(complex)
(complex)

Actual weld
Actual weld

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

(simple)
Analytical ECA

Idealized weld
Going back to Soete Laboratorys philosophy

99

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 45 slip lines

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017

cracked section
Deformation around weld defect under tension:

0.00
0.08

100

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 Weld homogenization: consider average properties
along 45 slip lines originating from the defect

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Heq,L Heq,R Heq,L Heq,R

Actual FL 45 FR Idealised
weld weld
HVb Meq HVb
M(s) = HVw(s)/HVb
O
a

base metal (HVb) HAZ HAZ base metal (HVb)

Predictions of load bearing capacity mostly accurate within 5%

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 101

 www.soetelaboratory.ugent.be

with thanks to:

Stijn Hertel - Lecture Lasgroep Noord - 8 Juni 2017 102