24th ABCM International Congress of Mechanical Engineering

December 3-8, 2017, Curitiba, PR, Brazil

COBEM-2017-2228 NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF THE STRESS FIELD AND

STRAIN FIELD OF THE CRACK PRESENT IN A DISSIMILAR WELDED
JOINT

Daniel Nicolau Lima Alves1

Marcelo Cavalcanti Rodrigues2
Universidade Federal da Paraíba – Cidade Universitária, s/n - Castelo Branco III, João Pessoa - PB, 58051-085
[email protected]
[email protected]

Abstract. The search for structural efficiency in mechanical systems has been strongly used with the objective of
economic optimization and structural safety. Studies carried out in recent years have sought to understand the
response of materials to the presence of cracks in dissimilar welded joints, but are not yet sufficient to fully discover
fracture resistance responses due to the heterogeneity present in these joints. This work analyzes the behavior of the
crack tip zone, from the perspective of fracture mechanics, located in a dissimilar welded joint used in the union of
pipes present in the offshore oil production lines investigated by Almeida (2014). It was possible observing critical
stress area due to numerical tool of the finite element method. A preferential plastic flow was also observed in samples
of dissimilar welded joints, which the literature claims to be a precursor of the crack growth path. The numerical
analysis showed a convergent behavior in relation to the plastic flow and developed during the tests performed. The
results obtained are in agreement with the literature and the experimental study of Almeida (2014).

Keywords: crack, stress field, strain field, numerical analysis

1. INTRODUCTION

With the advent of Fracture Mechanics many researches have been carried out in order to achieve greater clarity on
this subject. Due to the wide application as well as the complexity involved in the process, there are concentrated efforts
in the investigation of cracks present in dissimilar welded joints, however because it is difficult to access or confection
of evidence body not trivial, numerical methods especially finite element method (FEM) have been a very significant
analysis tool (LIU; ZHANG, ZHENG, 2012; PAREDES; RUGGIERI, 2012; ROTH; MOHR, 2016), besides an
economic and timely character, to understand this phenomenon in dissimilar welded joints.
Bowen, Druce and Knott (1987) described a thermal dependence of fracture toughness KIC, and fracture stress by
cleavage of the material, after analyzing a wide range of microstructural conditions in pressure vessel ASTM A533B
steel. It was observed that at very low test temperatures, fracture toughness is controlled by the average carbide size,
whereas at higher test temperatures fracture toughness is controlled by coarser carbides. Therefore, the effect of
temperature on changing carbide sizes suitable for nucleation of microcracks is a significant factor in the crack
formation process, since the coalescing mechanism is facilitated by the proximity of the microcrack’s nucleus.
In conducting the studies on weld joints with mechanical dissimilarities, with SE (B) samples, based on slip-line
theory and 3D numerical analysis, Hao, Schwalbe and Cornec (2000) noted the occurrence of crack side of the more
resistant material, evidencing a preferred path, that is, a plastic strain guideline in the direction of the material of least
resistance.
Wang et al. (2011) used the finite element method (MEF) based on the Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman (GTN) model
to investigate the unique behavior of ductile crack growth in an SE (B) specimen of a dissimilar welded joint composed
of four materials in the system of nuclear power plants. The authors observed that initial cracks at different locations in
the JSD obtained different tenacity values and growth paths. Thus, when the initial crack was located at the Nickel Base
Base weld 182 and Nickel-Base Base 83 weld center, the plastic strains and damage at the tip region of the crack are
symmetrical, and the crack growth is almost in line along the initial plane of the crack. However for cracks at the
interface between the materials and in the vicinity of the crack interface, the plastic strains and damage at the crack tip
region are asymmetrical, and the crack growth trajectory obtained a significant deviation into the material with the
lower limit of between the two interface materials.
D.N.L Alves and M. C. Rodrigues
Numerical Analysis of the Stress Field and Strain Field of the Crack Present in a Dissimilar Welded Joint

ALVES et al. (2016) conducted a study on crack behavior in JSD. The researchers identified a behavior pattern of
plastic strain, which suggests a future crack trajectory to be developed, independently of the dissimilarity presented by
the welded joint. It was recorded in the studies analyzed by ALVES et al. (2016) (Fig.1) a preferred plastic flow is the
lower strength material.

Figure 1. Variation of the strain field: (a) Homogeneous specimen; (b) and (c) dissimilar specimens with crack in the
weld; (d) dissimilar specimen with crack at the interface.

Coules et al. (2016) proposed a technique of incorporating measured stress and residual elastic strain data into a
finite element elastic-plastic fracture simulation. Residual tensile stress and strain in three-point flexural fracture test
specimens were measured using neutron diffraction and an iterative method was used to generate an estimate of the
total residual stress field. The interaction between the residual stress and the external load was observed. The Model
showed good agreement with the corresponding measured data and consistency with experimental results of fracture
test. All fracture samples failed in a fragile manner and the residual stress had a substantial effect on the fracture
toughness detected.
This work seeks to qualitative analyze the behavior of the crack tip zone, from the perspective of fracture
mechanics, located in a dissimilar welded joint used in the union of pipes present in the offshore oil production lines, in
order to identify a phenomenon of preferential flow presented by Almeida (2014). For this, a numerical approach was
used as a tool to predict the behavior of the stress fields generated from a given mechanical request system.

2. MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study involved a sample consisting of three different types of materials, so it is a heterogeneous sample as Fig.
2. The dissimilar welded joint consisted of the following materials: AISI 8630 M, ASTM A36 and INCONEL 625. The
former acting as base metals and the latter, also used as a buttering of AISI 8630 M steel, operating as weld metal.

Figure 2. Specimen used by Almeida (2014).

The methodology adopted in the work was based on a numerical analysis using the finite element method to
simulate the behavior of a dissimilar welded joint (JSD), with fatigue crack installed at 1 mm of the LF in the sense of
MB, presented by Almeida (2014), according to Fig.3. The JSD analyzed is a welded joint used in the union of flanges
and pipes present in offshore oil and gas production lines.
 24th ABCM International Congress of Mechanical Engineering
December 3-8, 2017, Curitiba, PR, Brazil

Figure 3. CAD Model.

An analysis of the stress state plane was performed. Therefore, a 2D model was constructed and due to the
asymmetry of the sample, in the planes (XZ and YX), it was necessary to model all the geometry, shown in Fig.4.

Figure 4. 2D CAD Model.

For the simulation, a three-point bending load was used according to the figure above (Fig. 4). This work was carried
out at the Laboratory of Integrity and Inspection LabII / DEM / UFPB, with the support of the Laboratory of
Mechanical Tests LEM / DEM / UFPB and the Solar Energy Laboratory LES / CEAR / UFPB, using the infrastructure
and equipment.

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

In Fig. 5 shows the behavior of von Mises stress in the flat stress state for a 2D sample. Due to the existing
dissimilarity, asymmetric stress fields are observed in the specimen, where higher stresses are generated in the 8630M
steel (yellow region) due to the constraints in the sample due to dissimilarity.

Figure 5. Stress distribution in the state of plane stress.

D.N.L Alves and M. C. Rodrigues
Numerical Analysis of the Stress Field and Strain Field of the Crack Present in a Dissimilar Welded Joint

This nonsymmetrical stress profile is related to the elastic behavior of the materials. As already mentioned, the
materials are arranged in ascending order of mechanical resistance, so the left side of the sample presents greater
flexibility, that is, greater elastic phase, resulting in this case lower values of stresses when compared with the right side
of the specimen.
With the presence of dissimilarity in the sample, the permanent strain will follow a preferential flow, being
influenced by the present restrictions resulting from the heterogeneity of the specimen. In this way, fig.6 shows the
preferred flow for the plastic strain in this case.

Figure 6. Preferential flow of plastic strain.

4. CONCLUSIONS

This work had the objective of numerical analysis of the behavior of a dissimilar welded joint used in offshore
equipment with the presence of a fatigue crack. From the results obtained through the numerical analysis using
commercial software based on the finite element method, it was concluded:

• It is evidenced the preference of the plastic strain flow, in the material direction of lower mechanical
strength, that is, with lower drainage stress, due to the constraints generated by the existing dissimilarities.
• The combination of the stress field and the inherent constraints of each heterogeneous joint determined the
deviation of the strain fields;
• Following the path that exerts less resistance to its advance, the triaxiality present at the crack tip is
responsible for penetration into the body of the material.

The analyzes carried out took into account the type of dissimilarity and the location of the specific crack of this
welded joint, being limited to a directional analysis of the crack based on the behavior of the strain and strain fields
from a cracked sample.
For further study on this subject, some studies are suggested based on the degree of dissimilarity, width of the weld
bead for example.

5. REFERENCES

Almeida, J. G., 2014. “Analysis of the Hydrogen Influence on the Almost Static Tenacity of HSLA Steel Welded
Joint”. 230 p. Thesis (Mechanical Engineering) — UFPB.
Alves, D. N. L. et al. “Analysis of the Dynamics of Propagation of a Crack in Dissimilar Soldered Joints”. In: ABCM.
National Congress of Mechanical Engineering.
Bowen, P.; Druce, S. G.; Knott, J. F., 1987. “Micromechanical Modelling of Fracture Toughness”. Acta Metall, v. 35, p.
1735 – 1746.
Coules, H. E. et al., 2016. “A Combined Experimental and Modelling Approach to Elastic – Plastic Crack Driving
Force Calculation in the Presence of Residual Stresses”. Experimental Mechanics, v. 56, p. 1313 – 1325.
 24th ABCM International Congress of Mechanical Engineering
December 3-8, 2017, Curitiba, PR, Brazil

Hao, S.; Schwalbe, K.; Cornec, A., 2000. “The Effect of Yield Strength Mis-match on the Fracture Analysis of Welded
Joints: Slip-line Field Solutions for Pure Bending”. International Journal of Solids and Structures, v. 37, p. 5385 –
5411.
Liu, B. J.; Zhang, J. Y.; Zheng, P. F., 2012. “Finite Element Analysis of Plastic Collapse and Crack Behavior of Steel
Pressure Vessels and Piping Using XFEM”. Journal of Failure Analysis and Prevention, v. 12, p. 707 – 718.
Paredes, M.; Ruggieri, C., 2012. “Further results in J and CTOD estimation procedures for SE(T) fracture specimens -
Part II: Weld centerline cracks”. Engineering Fracture Mechanics, v. 89, p. 24 – 39.
Wang, H. T. et al., 2011. “Numerical Investigation of Ductile Crack Growth Behavior in a Dissimilar Metal Welded
Joint”. Nuclear Engineering and Design, v. 241, p. 3234 – 3243.

6. RESPONSIBILITY NOTICE

The authors are the only responsible for the printed material included in this paper.