Characterization of material and fracture of AA6061 butt weld

As a critical part of a comprehensive study on fracture of welded thin-walled aluminum structures for train safety, a material testing procedure was developed to calibrate heterogeneous weldments for plasticity and fracture. This technique eliminates the need for machining and testing of miniature tensile specimens, cut from different zones within the weldment. The material characterization for plasticity and fracture of each of the material zones within the weld is reported, as a combination of experimental and numerical studies. The material data were applied in further investigation on large-scale Mode I and Mode III test as presented in the two accompanying papers [Zheng L, et al., Mode I fracture of large scale welded thin-walled AA 6061 extruded panels, submitted as an accompanying paper; Zheng L, et al., Mode III fracture of large scale welded thin-walled AA 6061 extruded panels. Thin-Walled Structures 2008; 46(11): 1262–73].