Métodos acurados de avaliação de tenacidade à fratura, incluindo curvas de resistência ao rasgamento dúctil de juntas soldadas de dutos e risers rígidos, tornam-se essenciais em procedimentos de avaliação de defeitos em regiões de soldas e zonas termicamente afetadas, nas quais defeitos não detectados podem se propagar devido às grandes tensões e deformações envolvidas na instalação e/ou operação dessa classe de estruturas. Este trabalho apresenta uma investigação experimental da tenacidade à fratura de uma junta soldada de um duto rígido de aço API 5L X80 (curvas J-Ãa). A motivação para este trabalho decorre da demanda crescente na aplicação de dutos de alta resistência na indústria de óleo e gás, em particular dutos submarinos e risers rígidos em catenária. Para tal, foram empregados corpos de prova de tração SE(T) fixados por garras, e flexão três pontos SE(B) contendo entalhe no centro da solda, para determinação das curvas J-R pelo método do corpo de prova único utilizando a técnica da flexibilidade no descarregamento, além das funções de flexibilidade e fatores n referentes aos corpos de prova SE(T) e SE(B) em função do nível de dissimilaridades mecânicas, o que permite obter valores mais assertivos das propriedades de tenacidade à fratura de juntas soldadas. / Accurate measurements of fracture resistance properties, including crack growth resistance curves for pipeline girth welds, become essential in defect assessment procedures of the weldment region and the heat affected zone, where undetected crack-like defects (such as lack of penetration, deep undercuts, root cracks, etc.) may exhibit further crack extension due to high tensile stresses and strains during installation and in-service operation. This work presents an investigation of the ductile tearing properties for a girth weld made of an API 5L X80 pipeline steel using experimentally measured crack growth resistance curves (J-Ãa curves). Use of these materials is motivated by the increasing demand in the number of applications for manufacturing high strength pipes for the oil and gas industry including marine applications and steel catenary risers. Testing of the pipeline girth welds utilized sidegrooved, clamped SE(T) specimens and 3P bend SE(B) specimens with a weld centerline notch to determine the crack growth resistance curves based upon the unloading compliance (UC) method using a single specimen technique. Recently developed compliance functions and n-factors applicable for SE(T) and SE(B) fracture specimens with homogeneous material and overmatch welds are introduced to determine crack growth resistance data from laboratory measurements of load-displacement records. This experimental characterization provides additional toughness data which serve to evaluate crack growth resistance properties of pipeline girth welds using SE(T) and SE(B) specimens with weld centerline cracks.

A demanda crescente por energia tem motivado a procura por petróleo e gás natural em ambientes com condições extremas, como operações em águas profundas e o transporte de fluídos corrosivos. Avanços tecnológicos recentes favorecem o uso de tubos de aço contendo uma camada interna resistente a corrosão (comumente chamados de Lined ou Clad Pipes) para o transporte de tais fluidos agressivos. Além disso, as tubulações submarinas são sujeitas a condições de instalação muito severas e, um caso de interesse, é o procedimento de reeling que permite com que a fabricação e inspeção da tubulação seja feita em terra. Apesar de possuir vantagens econômicas, a avaliação da integridade estrutural e especificação dos tamanhos toleráveis de trinca em juntas soldadas, nestas condições, torna-se uma tarefa complexa, devido a natureza dissimilar dos materiais e ao grande nível de deformação plástica no processo. Dessa maneira, este trabalho tem por objetivo o desenvolvimento de um procedimento de avaliação de forças motrizes elasto-plásticas em tubos contendo juntas soldadas circunferenciais sujeitos a flexão, para uma extensa gama de configurações geométricas. Dois métodos distintos foram desenvolvidos e analisados: a metodologia EPRI e o procedimento que utiliza a curva de tensão vs. deformação equivalente. As análises numéricas 3D fornecem os parâmetros de fratura necessários para a resolução do problema e a acurácia dos procedimentos é verificada a partir de estudos de casos e análises paramétricas. / The increasing demand for energy has motivated the oil and natural gas exploration in very hostile environments, including very deep water operation and the transport of corrosive fluids. Technological advances favor the use of high strength steel pipelines either clad or mechanically lined with a corrosion resistant alloy (CRA), such as Alloy 625, for the transport of corrosive hydrocarbons. Moreover, these pipelines are subjected to severe installation conditions and a case of interest is the pipe reeling process, which allows pipe welding and inspection to be conducted at onshore facilities. While cost effective, fracture assessments and specification of critical flaw sizes for the girth welds of lined/clad pipes are more complex due to the dissimilar nature of these materials and the high levels of plastic strain imposed during installation. In particular, effective analyses of crack driving forces in undermatched or partially mismatched pipe girth welds remain essential to determine more accurate acceptable flaw sizes for the piping system based upon conventional ECA procedures. This work focuses on the development of a procedure to determine the elastic-plastic crack driving forces for pipe girth welds with circumferential surface cracks subjected to bending load for a wide range of geometries and weld mismatch levels based upon based methodologies: the GE-EPRI framework and the equivalente stress vs. strain curve. The study also addresses the potential effects of an undermatching girth weld on critical flaw sizes. The extensive nonlinear, 3-D numerical analysis provide the fracture parameters for cracked pipes and cylinders with mismatched girth welds which will be applied in case studies and parametric analyses in order to verify the accuracy of the methods.

Este trabalho consiste numa revisão bibliográfica sobre ligações em estruturas de aço. Inicialmente são abordados os dispositivos de ligação, enfatizando os tipos e as características estruturais dos conectores, os processos de soldagem mais empregados nas estruturas de aço e suas implicações. A seguir são apresentados os aspectos mais importantes sobre o comportamento estrutural de parafusos e soldas e a avaliação da resistência com base na norma brasileira NBR 8800 e nas principais normas estrangeiras aplicáveis. Finalmente, são apresentados e discutidos os modelos teóricos clássicos usualmente empregados para a avaliação de solicitações em ligações parafusadas e soldadas. / This work gives a reference review on steel structure connections. First, connection designs are discussed, emphasizing the types of fasteners, their characteristics, the most common employed welding processes for steel structures and the technical implications. It is also presented the most important aspects regarding the structural behaviour of bolts, welds and the strength evaluation based on the Brazilian code NBR 8800, as well as on the main known foreign codes. Finally the classical theoretical analysis often adopted for the evaluation of welded and bolted connections are presented and discussed.

Welding is a key process for heavy steel structures, but it is also a weak link in the structure since fatigue fractures in welds are a common cause of failure. This thesis proposes several changes in order to improve the fatigue properties in acost effective way, enabling reduced weight and reduced cost of welded structures. The main idea is to adapt the weld requirements and welding procedures to the load conditions of the weld. This approach ensures that the main focus in the welding process is the critical characteristics of the welds fatigue life properties. The fatigue life critical properties are most often related to the geometrical factors of the weld such as the radius at the weld toe or the penetration in the root. The thesis describes a holistic view of the subject and covers fatigue, weld quality, weld requirements and welding procedures. It becomes evident that the traditional way of working without a direct connection to fatigue is not the best. With an adaptation to the load conditions and fatigue, it is possible to enhance the fatigue life and reduce the welding cost. The main challenge is to connect the welding process, weld requirements and fatigue life properties. It is needed for an optimised welding process of heavy structures subjected to fatigue and toget a predictable fatigue life. Welds optimised for enhanced fatigue life properties are not necessary accepted according to the requirements in a current standard. Several welding procedures are proposed for improving the fatigue life properties of the weld, which indicate a high potential for enhanced fatigue lifeof fillet welds. The idea is to replace the "standard" fillet weld with three different weld types: (i) Welds with deep penetration, (ii) Welds with large weld toe radius and (iii) Welds produced with low cost. Together with customised requirements and reduced over-welding there is a vast potential for reduced weight, reduced cost and increased productivity.The main contribution of this thesis work is the cross-functional studies including design, analysis, production and quality control. This gives a framework for improvements supporting reduced cost and reduced weight of VIII welded structures without reducing the fatigue strength. Many shortcomings have been highlighted to change the welding from a state where welds are done in a way as they "always" have, by tradition, to a more contemporary situation where weld requirements and welding procedures are actively chosen to match the load conditions of the weld. This result in requirements and welding procedures which actually are connected to the fatigue properties as defined by the loading conditions, and where auditors with high probability can say that an accepted weld actually is better than a rejected weld.

La détermination de la tenue mécanique de points soudés est un enjeu industriel important, eten particulier dans le cas d’aciers à Très Haute Résistance. Actuellement, l’essai de tractionen croix est l’essai mécanique le plus répandu caractérisant la tenue des points soudés.Toutefois, l’étude de l’influence des différentes zones constituant le point soudé sur la tenueest difficile en se basant sur cet essai.Un essai d’enfoncement de coin a été développé afin de caractériser les ruptures interfacialesdes points soudés. Une section transverse d’un point soudé est observée tandis qu’un coin estinséré entre les deux tôles soudés. Une caméra CCD enregistre l'observation de lapropagation de la fissure.Le pliage limité des tôles durant la fissuration rend efficace la classification des différentspoints soudés par l'énergie totale dissipée par unité de surface rompue. De plus, la mesure insitu de l’angle d’ouverture de fissure caractérise la fissuration stable de la zone fondue. Dessimulations par éléments finis de l’essai sont conduites afin d’estimer un lien entre cesmesures et la rupture du matériau, modélisée par des zones cohésives.La rupture interfaciale de points soudés d’aciers DP et TRIP a été étudiée. Les mesuresexpérimentales permettent d’estimer les paramètres de modèles cohésifs représentatifs de larupture de la zone fondue, constituant des données fiables susceptibles d’être utilisées danstoute simulation numérique du comportement du point soudé. / Characterization of spot weld strength is a key industrial issue, particularly in the case of Advanced High Strength Steels. Today, the most widely used mechanical test evaluating this strength is the Cross Tensile Test. However, investigating the role of the different zones of one spot weld based on this test is difficult.A wedge test has been developed in order to characterize interfacial failures of spot welds. A cross section of one spot weld is observed while a wedge is inserted in between the two welded sheets. A CCD camera records the observation of the propagating crack. The limited sheet bending occurring during crack propagation allows the spot weld classification based on the total energy dissipated per unit fractured area to be efficient.Furthermore, the stable crack propagation is characterized by the in situ measurement of the crack opening angle. Finite element simulations of the test are carried out to estimate a relation between these measurements and the material resistance, approached by a cohesive zone model.Interfacial failures of spot welds of DP and TRIP steels have been investigated. The experimental measurements allow to estimate parameters of a cohesive zone model representative of the molten material failure, providing reliable and appropriate data for simulations of the mechanical behavior of the complete spot weld.

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Welding is a widely used method of connecting components because of its efficiency, great value and almost endless possibilities of join types. A great variability of geometrical configurations of welds is problematic due to the assessment of the weld joint. Depending on this topic this thesis was focused on the assessment of weld joints statically and cyclically. Work in the first part deals with the search of methods for evaluation of welds and depending on identified options is subsequently selected American standard AISC assessment of welded joints. The method is applied into FEA analysis and simple welded joints are evaluated. Using FEM are computed three examples on which a comparative analysis was performed. Comparisons were made with the analytical solution based on changes in the parameters of the computational model. The change is primarily related to material properties, mesh size and division of the weld on segments. On the basis of knowledge from analysis of simple joints, method was extended to more general welded joints with the possibility of determining the maximum loading force.

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