2-D RESIDUAL WELDING STRESS ANALYSIS BASED ON THE CUTTING METHOD IN HEAT-TREATED AND WELDED PLATE OF ST 37

Using a newly developed cutting process - narrow strips of a cut off the edges of a specimen of plate and the resilience of the same is measured at the centre - the biaxial residual welding stresses, assumed to be symmetrical, were measured in 3-6mm thick plate of St 36-7 after heat treatment, application of a "hot spot" in the centre or welding. The accuracy of measurement was within = or - 5 N/sq mm. Local sources of residual welding stress, such as those produced by quenching central hot spots, produce residual stress fields with maximum values of - 450 N/sq mm at distances of up to 100mm.