Comparison of fatigue crack growth design curves on GMAW and EBW joints of high strength steels

There is a growing demand in the industrial sector for the use of high-strength structural steels (HSSSs), which can achieve a significant weight reduction in structures. These structural steels are usually produced by quenching and tempering (Q + T) or thermomechanical treatment (TM), and their applications in welded structures pose several challenges for the users. In industrial practice, gas metal arc welding (GMAW) is basically the most commonly used fusion welding process, which has a relatively high heat input. However, at HSSSs, there is a need for low heat input but, at the same time, productive welding processes. High-energy density welding processes, e.g., electron beam welding (EBW), offer a unique opportunity to weld these steels. The widespread use of HSSSs is also hampered by the fact that the benefits of high strength can be exploited primarily under static loading. At the same time, different welded structures made of HSSSs are often subjected to cyclic loading, and possible weld defects and material discontinuities are major risks in this case. During our experiments, GMAW and autogenous EBW processes were applied to make welded joints from S960 Q + T and TM structural steels. The fatigue resistance of the welded joints was characterized by fatigue crack growth (FCG) tests, considering the increased crack sensitivity of HSSSs. A statistical approach was followed both in the design of the experiments and in the evaluation of their results. Based on the test results fatigue crack propagation design curves were determined for the investigated GMAW and EBW welded joints. The design curves were compared with each other, with design curves of lower strength material (S690QL) and with the recommended fatigue crack growth laws of BS 7910.