Tensile overload-induced plastic deformation and fatigue behavior in weld-repaired high-strength low-alloy steel

The effects of tensile over-load (OL) on fatigue crack growth behavior of a weld-repaired high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel were studied by measuring both the fatigue crack growth rate and sample-thickness variation along the fatigue crack growth path. The thickness variation, indicating the degree of plastic deformation (PD), provided an indirect measurement of associated residual compressive stresses at the crack-tip. The applied tensile OL with one-hour holding period in each test generated a damage zone at the crack tip. Microscopic details of the crack-tip damage zone were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. Three groups of expanded compact-tension (E-CT) samples, 10 mm in thickness, were tested: weld-repaired HSLA without soft buffer layer (BL), and weld-repaired HSLA with 4 mm or 10 mm thick BL. The experimental results showed that the OL-induced PD, closely linked to the crack-tip residual compressive stresses, reduced the subsequent fatigue crack growth rate, and that the HSLA with a 10 mm BL had the lowest growth rate, indicating a soft BL with an adequate thickness could further improve the fatigue resistance.