Temper-Bead Weld Heat-Affected Zone Properties in A516-70 Steel

A temper-bead welding technique has been developed to provide an alternative weld repair method in which the application of a high temperature post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) can be avoided. In order to assess the integrity of temper-bead weld repairs, a series of experiments were carried out on a simulated temper-bead weld made on A516-70 steel plate. Metallographic examination of the weld repair shows that the temper-bead technique can produce a grain refined heat-affected zone (HAZ) microstructure with acceptable hardness values. The J_IC fracture toughness test results show that the HAZ exhibited equivalent or greater fracture toughness than the base metal.