Measurement and prediction of residual stress in a bead-on-plate weld benchmark specimen

This paper presents measurements and predictions of the residual stresses generated by laying a single weld bead on a flat, austenitic stainless steel plate. The residual stress field that is created is strongly three-dimensional and is considered representative of that found in a repair weld. Through-thickness measurements are made using the deep hole drilling technique, and near-surface measurements are made using incremental centre hole drilling. Measurements are compared to predictions at the same locations made using finite element analysis incorporating an advanced, non-linear kinematic hardening model. The work was conducted as part of an European round robin exercise, coordinated as part of the NeT network. Overall, there was broad agreement between measurements and predictions, but there were notable differences.