Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Crack tip opening angle measurement through a girth welded in an X100 steel pipeline section

Published

Author(s)

Philippe P. Darcis, Christopher N. McCowan, Joseph D. McColskey, Richard J. Fields

Abstract

Crack tip opening angle (CTOA) is becoming one of the accepted methods for characterizing fully plastic fracture. It provides a measure of the resistance to fracture for a material in cases where there is a large degree of stable-tearing crack extension during the fracture process. Our current pipeline research uses the CTOA test as an alternative, or addition, to the CTOD (Crack Tip Opening Displacement) and the fracture energy characterization provided by the J-integral approach. A test technique for measurement of CTOA was developed that uses a modified double cantilever beam (MDCB) specimen. A digital camera and image analysis software were used to record the progression of the crack tip and to estimate the CTOA. In this article, CTOA data on crack growth orientations perpendicular to pipeline girth welds are presented. The CTOA for X100 high strength bainitic gas pipeline steel is reported. Two different specimen gauge sections, 3 mm and 8 mm, are used and the effect of the specimen thickness on the CTOA is discussed. The results show a change in the CTOA as the crack grows into the heat affected zone (HAZ). A slight improvement in the fracture resistance is measured, and through the weld, a slight decrease in fracture resistance is observed.
Citation
Fatigue & Fracture of Engineering Materials & Structures

Keywords

crack tip opening angle, girth pipeline section, welded joints

Citation

Darcis, P. , McCowan, C. , McColskey, J. and Fields, R. (2007), Crack tip opening angle measurement through a girth welded in an X100 steel pipeline section, Fatigue & Fracture of Engineering Materials & Structures (Accessed November 9, 2024)

Issues

If you have any questions about this publication or are having problems accessing it, please contact reflib@nist.gov.

Created October 1, 2007, Updated October 12, 2021