TWI Industrial Member Report Summary 188/1982
By A J A Parlane and R H Leggatt
Background
The effect of test panel restraint conditions on the measured toughness of CTOD specimens has been investigated. In this preliminary phase of the project, the effects of end bar configuration, tacking and panel length were studied using five test panels manufactured using identical welding procedures. Measurements were made of the angular distortion during welding; the variation of transverse shrinkage and angular distortion along the plate length after welding; residual stresses at two sections through the weld; composition, including nitrogen and oxygen content; and of toughness assessed by CTOD, root Charpy, and near-surface Charpy tests at -l0°C in specimens cut from positions all along the weld length.
The toughness values were scattered, with low values tending to occur near to tacks in the original root run. A panel with no tacks exhibited the highest mean toughness values; a panel with no restraint during welding had the lowest mean toughness.