Residual stress distributions and plastic zones in heterogeneous welded plates with a transverse crack

In this paper, the welding residual stress distribution and the size of pla stic zone in heterogeneous plate welded joints with a transverse crack were studied by a thermal elasto-plastic finite element method. The results sho wed that for the plate with a crack a stress concentration existed in the v icinity of the crack-tip. The distribution of residual stresses was much di fferent from that of the plate without a crack. The effect of strength matc hing of weld metal on residual stresses was limited to the weld region. Als o, the size of the plastic zone due to residual stresses was influenced by the crack length. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.