A series of finite element anisotropic creep analyses of a Bridgman notch specimen have been performed. The anisotropic creep analysis is based on Hill's anisotropic yield model and the Norton creep law. An anisotropic parameter, p, is defined in order to quantify the degree of bulk material anisotropy which exists in a weld metal. The effects of p and the Norton stress exponent, n, on the stationary-state stresses, at the minimum cross-section of the notch, are presented. The material constants were chosen to include the practical range for engineering materials. Indications of the practical application of anisotropic analyses to welds are given.

SUMMARYA constitutive model for describing the creep and creep damage in initially isotropic materials with characteristics dependent on the loading type, such as tension, compression and shear, has been applied to the numerical modeling of creep deformation and creep damage growth in thin plates under plane stress conditions. The variational approach of establishing the basic equations of the plane stress problem under consideration has been introduced. For the solution of two-dimensional creep problems, the fourth-order Runge-Kutta-Merson's method of time integration, combined with the Ritz method and R-functions theory, has been used. Numerical solutions to various problems have been obtained, and the processes of creep deformation and creep damage growth in thin plates of arbitrary shape have been investigated. The influence of tension-compression asymmetry on the stress-strain state and damage evolution, with time, in thin plates of arbitrary shape, has been discussed.

Past studies from creep tests on uniaxial specimens and Bridgman notch specimens, for a P91 weld metal, showed that anisotropic behaviour (more specifically transverse isotropy) occurs in the weld metal, both in terms of creep (steady-state) strain rate behaviour and rupture times (viz. damage evolution). This paper describes the development of a finite element (FE) continuum damage mechanics methodology to deal with anisotropic creep and anisotropic damage for weld metal. The method employs a second order damage tensor following the work of Murakami and Ohno [1] along with a novel rupture stress approach to define the evolution of this tensor, taking advantage of the transverse isotropic nature of the weld metal, to achieve a reduction in the number of material constants required from test data (and hence tests) to define the damage evolution. Hill’s anisotropy potential theory is employed to model the secondary creep. The theoretical model is implemented in a material behaviour subroutine within the general-purpose, non-linear FE code ABAQUS [2]. The validation of the implementation against established isotropic continuum damage mechanics solutions for the isotropic case is described. A procedure for calibrating the multiaxial damage constants from notched bar test data is described for multiaxial implementations. Also described is a study on the effect of uniaxial specimen orientation on anisotropic damage evolution.

Past studies from creep tests on uniaxial specimens and Bridgman notch specimens, for a P91 weld metal, showed that anisotropic behavior (more specifically transverse isotropy) occurs in the weld metal, both in terms of creep (steady-state) strain rate behavior and rupture times (viz., damage evolution). This paper describes the development of a finite element (FE) continuum damage mechanics methodology to deal with anisotropic creep and anisotropic damage for weld metal. The method employs a second order damage tensor following the work of Murakami and Ohno (1980, “A Continuum Theory of Creep and Creep Damage,” Creep in Structures, A. R. S. Ponter and D. R. Hayhurst, eds., Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp. 422–444) along with a novel rupture stress approach to define the evolution of this tensor, taking advantage of the transverse isotropic nature of the weld metal, to achieve a reduction in the number of material constants required from test data (and hence tests) to define the damage evolution. Hill’s anisotropy potential theory is employed to model the secondary creep. The theoretical model is implemented in a material behavior subroutine within the general-purpose nonlinear FE code ABAQUS (ABAQUS User’s Manual, Version 6.6, 6006, Hibbitt, Karlsson and Sorenson, Inc., Providence, RI). The validation of the implementation against established isotropic continuum damage mechanics solutions for the isotropic case is described. A procedure for calibrating the multiaxial damage constants from notched bar test data is described for multiaxial implementations. Also described is a study on the effect of uniaxial specimen orientation on anisotropic damage evolution.

This paper describes the development of a finite element (FE) continuum damage mechanics methodology to deal with anisotropic creep and anisotropic damage for a P91 weld metal. The method employs a second-order damage tensor, together with a novel rupture stress approach to define the evolution of this tensor. The method takes advantage of the transverse isotropic nature of the weld metal, to achieve a reduction in the number of material constants required from test data (and hence tests) to define the damage evolution. Hill's anisotropy potential theory is employed to model the secondary creep. An FE implementation of the model is applied to the creep life assessment of an internally pressurized axisymmetric P91 pipe weldment. The study also considered the effect of various material mismatch ratios in the various zones of the weldment. Here material mismatch is considered to be a combination of the difference in uniaxial minimum strain rates and in the uniaxial rupture times.