FEM assessment of the local side compression technique efficiency as applicable for notched prismatic specimens

Abstract

A crack front straightness is one of the test result validity criteria for fatigue precracked static fracture toughness specimens. Actually, the ideally straight crack front cannot be reached due to the presence of residual stress. This is particularly actual for specimens cut out of welded joints containing the residual welding stress (RWS). One of the techniques allowing to lower the RWS effect is a local side compression of specimens. Its efficiency has been proved in physical testing however no quantitative assessments are known in the literature. This work comprises FEM simulation of welding, sampling and side compression processes. The effect of local compression on base metal containing no residual stress is also investigated.
It has been found that in the course of local side compression the initial residual stress field caused by welding and specimen making is replaced by another field showing stress gradients more favourable for getting the fatigue crack shape meeting the validity criteria of test results as per approved test methods. The calculation results show that the complete removal of residual stress as in base metal as in welded specimens is not feasible in the range of actual practicable degrees of compression.