Measurement of Residual Stresses in Surface Treated Stainless Steel Groove Welds

This paper examines the extent to which mechanical shot peening (MSP), ultrasonic impact treatment (UIT) and laser shock peening (LSP) can affect the tensile residual stresses in the fusion zone caused by welding for a 10mm multi-pass 'V' groove weld within a 20 mm thick 304L stainless steel plate. Stresses are measured by deep hole drilling, neutron diffraction and incremental center hole drilling. For the UIT and LSP treated samples, the tensile stresses present in the as-welded plate are reversed to compressive stresses to a depth in excess of 2-4mm. For MSP the affected depth is much less (~0.5mm). The depth of these compressive stresses is similar to those measured in 20 mm thick parent plate test coupons.