Cold cracking tests—an overview of present technologies and applications

• Published in: Welding in the world 2013-02, Vol.57 (1), p.3-37
• Main Authors: Kannengiesser, Thomas, Boellinghaus, Thomas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemistry and Materials Science; Materials Science; Metallic Materials; Review Paper; Solid Mechanics; Theoretical and Applied Mechanics
• ISSN: 0043-2288; 1878-6669
• DOI: 10.1007/s40194-012-0001-7

This study provides an in-depth survey of current technologies and applications for assessing the cold cracking susceptibility of welded joints. From the large variety of existent cold cracking test procedures, the most important and internationally established tests are presented and evaluated in terms of their usefulness and application limits. According to the type of loading, the test procedures are classified into self-restraint and externally loaded tests. Apart from the merely metallurgical weldability tests for determining the cracking susceptibility of base materials, filler materials and weld metals, advanced test methods are presented for evaluating the cold cracking susceptibility of welded components. A salient point brought out in this respect is the fact that the level of external loading in such component weld tests can be applied independently of the welding parameters, reproducing as realistically as possible the practical application case, i.e. the level of the restraint intensity. This study includes a summarized comparison of the cold cracking procedures. It is emphasized that highly accurate consideration and reproduction of the design-specific stiffness conditions is essential in the tests for assessing the cold cracking behaviour of welded joints. Therefore, various numerical analyses are presented in a final chapter for calculating the restraint intensity as a definitive factor affecting cold cracking.