Residual stresses in heavy wall weldments

Residual stress (RS) measurements were performed on submerged arc welded (SAW) wide plates using the X-ray diffraction technique. High tensile RS up to yield strength of the apparent material were obtained at the surface. The through-the-thickness distributions are characterized by compressive RS in the center of the X-joints balanced by tensile RS in the near-surface regions. For the overmatch conditions examined in this work the increase of the near-surface RS was found to be in the same order as the increase in yield strength of the weld metal. Post-weld heat treated (PWHT) welds showed significant RS up to 150 MPa near the surface.