Re-Evaluation of Stress Rupture Factors for Grade 91 Weldments Based on the Extended Database With the Data Collected in Japan

Stress rupture factors and weld strength reduction factors for Grade 91 steel weldments in the codes and literatures have been reviewed. Stress rupture factors for weld metals proposed for Code Case N-47 in the mid 1980’s was defined as a ratio of average rupture strength of the deposited filler metal to the average rupture strength of the base metal. Remarkable drop in creep rupture strength of weldments is significant issue of Grade 91, especially in the low-stress and long-term regime. A premature failure of Grade 91 steel weldments in the long-term, however, is caused by Type IV failure which takes place in the fine grain heat affected zone (FG-HAZ), rather than fracture in the deposited weld metal. The stress rupture factor of the Grade 91 steel, therefore, was based on the creep rupture strength of cross weld test specimens. Creep rupture data of Grade 91 steel weldments reported in the publication of ASME STP-PT-077 was incorporated in the creep database collected in Japan which was used for the previous study. Time and temperature dependent stress rupture factors for Grade 91 steel have been re-evaluated based on the extended database as a ratio of average creep rupture strength of cross weld test specimen to the average creep rupture strength of base metal.