Constraint loss correction for assessment of CTOD fracture toughness under welding residual stress – Part II: Application of toughness correction methodology

This part II paper presents the verified results of the toughness correction methodology for welded joints of wide plates. The equivalent CTOD ratio, βr, is applied to the fracture data of the welded joints from lower to upper ductile–brittle transition temperature region. In the part I paper, βr is defined as the ratio of CTOD in the standard fracture toughness specimen to CTOD in the wide plate with welding residual stress at the same level of the Weibull stress. In this part II paper, the equivalent CTOD ratio, βr, under the welding residual stress field has been verified for assessment of constraint loss effects on CTOD fracture toughness of wide plate. Fracture assessments have been conducted by applying the methodology for “After Weld Notch” and “Before Weld Notch” type welded joints. It has been found that an excessive conservatism observed in the conventional procedure is reasonably reduced by applying the proposed methodology.