Use of Plastic Correction Formula to Improve Accuracy of Welding Residual Stress Test with Blind-Hole Method

The blind-hole method is the most widely used approach to experimentally determine the distribution of residual stress. This paper aims to improve test accuracy of welding residual stress and conducts an experimental study on the strain release factors involved when using the blind-hole method for Q235 and Q345, two steels commonly used in building structures. The ranges of strain release factors A and B in the elastic stage, the effects of strain release factors on residual stress calculated values, and the plastic corrected strain release factors are analyzed considering of the effect of plastic deformation around the blind hole on measurement accuracy. Finally, a simplified calculation formula to determine strain release factors is proposed for use with the blind-hole method. Results show that in the elastic stage, strain release factor A for Q235 and Q345 ranges from −0.399 to −0.525 and strain release factor B from −0.791 to −0.960. Changing the strain release factors A and B shows that calculated residual tensile stress varies in relation to a decrease in both factor values. However, there is a increase in calculated residual compressive stress with a decrease in the strain release factor A value, but there is an decrease with a decrease in strain release factor B value. Calculated residual stress applied to elastic strain release factors is compared with that applied to amended plastic strain release factors for Q235 steel. The maximum deviation between calculated residual stress and test stress is reduced from 21.1 to 1.0%, and for Q345 steel from 26.5 to 1.2%. It is thus evident that the plastic correction formula proposed in this paper can be used in calculations when conducting a residual stress test.