A Numerical Study of the Ductile Tearing in Welded Joints Using the Rice-Tracey Void Growth Model

A finite element (FE) analysis of a CT25 specimen has been achieved for three configurations of a welded structure : monometallic (base metal), bimetallic (base metal and weld metal) and trimetallic (BM+WM+HAZ). Using the RICE-TRACEY model, a void growth parameter R& has been computed for each case. The evolution of this parameter indicates clearly that the bimetallic specimen is the most h d while the monometallic case leads to conservative results. Furthermore, a crack propagation analysis, based upon a critical value of the void growth rate, has been performed. Numerical and experimental tearing rates dJlda are in good agreement but numerical J values are clearly underestimated. Concerning the trimetallic specimen, when analysing the void growth rate distribution around the crack tip, a prediction of crack propagation direction may be possible.