Welding residual stresses and effects on fracture in pressure vessel and piping components: A millennium review and beyond

In this paper the recent advances in weld residual stress modeling procedures are first reviewed within the context of pressure vessel and piping applications. A typical pipe girth weld was then used as an example to highlight some of the critical issues in weld residual stress prediction, measurement, and residual stress effects on various aspects of fracture behaviors from stress intensity factor solutions for a growing crack to crack-opening displacement calculations for leak-before-break assessment. Finally, the future needs in improved fracture mechanics procedures by incorporating the rapidly expanding knowledge on weld residual stresses are summarized with respect to pressure vessel and piping applications. [S0094-9930(00)02103-X].