A combined experimental and numerical examination of welding residual stresses

This study examines residual stresses in bead-on-plate welded specimens in transverse direction over the thickness of the plate, using a combination of experimental and numerical procedures. Dilatometer and tensile tests were used to determine the phase transition temperatures with associated volumetric strains and the stress-strain relationships of the S355G10 + M base material. Temperature profiles have been measured during welding. Residual stresses of the base plate and the welded specimen were determined with the crack compliance method. The thermal (finite element) simulations used the measured material parameters as input and the experimentally obtained temperature profiles were used as calibration data for the welding process. The residual stress predicted by the subsequent mechanical simulations were compared with the measured residual stress and a good agreement was obtained. This study demonstrates the importance of using correct phase transition temperatures and volumetric strains in simulations of residual stresses.