Accurate prediction of residual stress in stainless steel welds

Measurements of stress–strain properties and residual stress in purpose-designed one and three-pass groove-weld specimens are used to optimise a mixed hardening constitutive model for simulating residual stresses in austenitic Type 316 stainless steel weldments. It is demonstrated that isotropic hardening over-predicts the tensile magnitude of welding residual stress in the benchmark specimens, while pure kinematic hardening gives an under-prediction of longitudinal stresses in parent material close to the weld. The most accurate predictions are those based on optimised mixed isotropic–kinematic formulations combined with a multi-pass moving heat source welding analysis.

► Residual stresses and tensile property variation in austenitic steel weldments are characterised with high reliability. ► Isotropic, kinematic, and mixed hardening models are fitted and applied in moving heat source finite element simulations. ► Optimised mixed hardening models give the most accurate predictions of residual stress and tensile property variation.