Specimen Geometry Effects on Creep Crack Initiation and Growth in Parent Materials and Weldments

High temperature crack growth in weldments is of great practical concern in high temperature plant components. Cracking typically occurs in the heat affected zone (HAZ) and often propagates into adjacent parent material (PM). Recently, the importance of constraint effects on creep crack growth behaviour has been recognised and creep crack growth testing on a range of specimen geometries has been performed. Experimental crack growth testing has been performed at 550 °C on a range of fracture specimens using sections taken from a non-stress-relieved 316 steel weldment. These specimens include the compact tension, C(T), middle tension, M(T) and circumferentially cracked bar, CCB, geometries. Results are presented from two long-term creep crack growth (CCG) tests performed on M(T) weldment specimens and these are compared with available data on C(T) and CCB weldment specimens together with both long and short term tests on parent material for a range of specimen geometries. The creep crack initiation (CCI) and growth (CCG) behaviour from these tests has been analysed in terms of the C* parameter. As high levels of residual stress exist in non-stress-relieved weldments, the residual stresses remaining in the weldment specimens have therefore been quantified using the neutron diffraction technique. Long-term (low-load) tests are required on PM specimen to observe specimen constraint effects in 316 steel at 550 °C. When interpreted in terms of the C* parameter the CCG behavior of PM and Weldment materials follow the same trendline on low constraint geometries. However, significant difference is observed in the CCG behavior of PM and weldments on the high constraint C(T) geometry. Long term tests on C(T) specimen weldments are required to confirm the results found.