Impact of accelerated corrosion on weld geometry, hardness and residual stresses of offshore steel joints over time

Corrosion of offshore support structures can reduce the estimated fatigue life. Pitting corrosion, in particular, is known to lead to local stress concentrations and thus reduce their service life. However, offshore support structures consist of a large number of weld seams, which already have their own stress concentrations and interact with pitting corrosion. So far, there have been no studies on how corrosion can influence the stress concentrations on a long-term basis. In this study, butt- and fillet-welded specimens were exposed to corrosion in a salt spray chamber for up to 12 months and their geometrical development was examined using 3D scans. In addition, hardness and residual stress measurements were carried out. The results were compared to specimens, which were corroded for 12 months in artificial seawater. It could be shown that corrosion causes the notches of the butt welds to become sharper over time, while the fillet welds become narrower. It could be also shown that despite existing scatter, the residual stresses do not change significantly over time. The hardness measurements revealed that although there are no significant changes in the hardness values, the location of the sharpest notch shifted repeatedly within the weld metal, heat affected zone, and base material, which had different hardness values.