Effect of notch location on fatigue crack growth behavior of strength-mismatched high-strength low-alloy steel weldments

Welding of high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steels involves the use of low-strength, equal-strength, and high-strength filler materials (electrodes) compared with the parent material, depending on the application of the welded structures and the availability of filler material. In the present investigation, the fatigue crack growth behavior of weld metal (WM) and the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of undermatched (UM), equally matched (EM), and overmatched (OM) joints has been studied. The base material used in this investigation is HSLA-80 steel of weldable grade. Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) has been used to fabricate the butt joints. A center-cracked tension (CCT) specimen has been used to evaluate the fatigue crack growth behavior of welded joints, utilizing a servo-hydraulic-controlled fatigue-testing machine at constant amplitude loading (R = 0). The effect of notch location on the fatigue crack growth behavior of strength mismatched HSLA steel weldments also has been analyzed.