Cross Weld Tensile Testing With Digital Image Correlation to Determine Local Strain Response

Qualification for weld strength is typically accomplished using cross weld tensile testing. This style of testing only gives the global behavior of the welded joint and limited materials properties, such as elongation at failure and tensile strength of the material where final failure occurs. Qualification for welded structures usually requires the weldment fails in the base metal. Final failure in cross weld tensile tests in the base metal does not provide information about the actual weld metal and heat affected zone properties. There may be weaker points in the microstructure that cannot be identified in a global cross weld tensile test due to being constrained by surrounding microstructures. Additionally, the traditional cross weld tensile test does not quantify how strain accumulates and transfers in the microstructure at various loads. Using Digital Image Correlation (DIC) in combination with tensile testing, local strain of the various microstructures present across the weld was obtained for ferritic to austenitic dissimilar metal welds (DMW), as well as for a typical “matching” ferritic steel filler metal weld with a higher tensile strength than the base metal. This test also showed where and how strain accumulated and transferred during tensile loading of various welded microstructures. Local yield stresses of each region were also obtained. Obtaining such local properties provides insight into design and service limits of welded components in service.