EFFECTS OF CLUSTER POROSITY ON THE TENSILE PROPERTIES OF BUTT-WELDMENTS IN T-1 STEEL

The effects of cluster porosity on the tensile properties of T-1 steel butt-weldments were assessed in a program consisting of three phases of experimentation. In the first phase, cluster porosity was expressed as a percentage of the total cross section. In the second phase, cluster porosity was measured both in terms of the actual total area of pores and the area of the cluster (including metal ligaments, or webs, that connect pores). These two phases showed that the tensile strength of the welded metal is not significantly reduced if the area of pores and the cluster area are below critical sizes; however ductility is rapidly reduced until these sizes are reached. The third phase established a partial correlation between cluster porosity size and the length of a center-crack in a plate. The J integral concept of fracture mechanics was used to examine the existence of a critcal value of the J integral with which the critical pore area size (or other measure of cluster porosity) could be correlated. Consideration of the implications of this failure criterion on both working stress design and limit design indicate that relaxation of welding codes may be considered for certain applications if the codes are based on working stress design. Relaxation of codes based on limit design should not be considered for the conditions of porosity covered in this study.

• Corporate Authors:

  Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory

  P.O. Box 4005
  Champaign, IL  United States  61820
• Authors:
  • Honig Jr, E M
• Publication Date: 1974-11

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 30 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Butt welds; Cluster analysis; Design; Ductility; Fracture mechanics; Pore size distribution; Porosity; Stresses; Tensile properties; Tensile strength; Ultimate load design
• Uncontrolled Terms: Fracture; Working stress design
• Subject Areas: Design; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00083598
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: M-109 Tech. Rpt.
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 8 1975 12:00AM