Experimental Techniques to Investigate Residual Stress in Joints

Abstract

Residual stress arising from welding processes is matter of great concern in industrial practice since it can affect geometry, mechanical behavior and corrosion resistance of components. In order to evaluate residual stress in welded joints and optimize post- welding heat treatments, a lot of work has been devoted to the improvement of mea- surement methods with increasing sensitivity and accuracy. The chapter presents and discusses some of the experimental techniques commonly used today to determine resi- dual stress in welds and describes recent results and advancements. Destructive (section- ing, contour, hole-drilling, instrumented indentation) and nondestructive (Barkhausen noise, ultrasonic, X-ray and neutron diffraction) methods are illustrated to highlight the specific characteristics, advantages and drawbacks.