Measurement of Crack-Tip Opening

Displacement (CTOD)
Fracture Resistance Curves
Using Single-Edge Notched Tension (SENT)
Specimens

ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company

September 20, 2010

Page 1 of 36
 Table of Contents

1.0 SCOPE ........................................................................................................................ 3

2.0 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS ......................................................................................... 3

3.0 TERMINOLOGY ........................................................................................................... 3

4.0 SUMMARY OF TEST METHOD ..................................................................................... 5

5.0 SIGNIFICANCE AND USE .............................................................................................. 6

6.0 SENT SPECIMEN DETAILS ............................................................................................ 6

7.0 INSTRUMENTATION ................................................................................................... 8

8.0 TEST PROCEDURE ..................................................................................................... 10

9.0 ANALYSIS OF TEST DATA........................................................................................... 15

10.0 VALIDITY REQUIREMENTS ........................................................................................ 18

11.0 TEST REPORT............................................................................................................ 19

APPENDIX A: CALCULATION OF COMPLIANCE ...................................................................... 19

Page 2 of 36
1.0 Scope

1.1 This Test Protocol presents procedures and guidelines for the determination of
SENT CTOD R-curves.

1.2 The SENT Test Protocol covers the testing of base materials and welds.

1.3 The test results are presented as CTOD R-curves, i.e., a plot of CTOD versus
stable ductile crack growth.

2.0 Referenced Documents

2.1 ASTM Standard: E1820 Standard Test Method for Measurement of Fracture
Toughness

2.2 ASTM Standard: E1290 Standard Test Method for Crack-Tip Opening
Displacement (CTOD) Fracture Toughness Measurement

2.3 British Standard: BS 7448 Fracture Mechanics Toughness Tests Part 1: Method
for Determination of KIC, Critical CTOD and Critical J Values of Metallic Materials

3.0 Terminology

3.1 Definitions:

Term Description
Crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) The opening
CTOD
displacement at the location of the original precrack tip
Crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD) The opening
CMOD displacement at the mouth of the machined notch (specimen
surface)
The reciprocal of the slope of the CMOD vs. applied load response
Compliance
during elastic unloading/reloading
Net thickness (BN) the distance between the roots of the side
Net Thickness
grooves
Specimen width (W) the side-to-side dimension of the SENT
Specimen Width specimen in the direction of crack growth (perpendicular to the
crack front)
Specimen Specimen thickness (B) the side-to-side dimension of the SENT
Thickness specimen in the direction parallel to the crack front
Ductile Tearing Crack growth due to the microvoid coalescence mechanism
Physical Crack
The distance from the specimen surface to the observed crack front
Size
Test Laboratory Test laboratory performing the SENT tests
Company The Company requesting or requiring the SENT tests

Page 3 of 36
3.2 Symbols and designations

Symbol Definition
a0 average original crack depth from the optical measurement
crack depth measured at one of the nine equally spaced points along the
a0i
pre-crack front

a ip crack depth measured at one of the nine equally spaced points along the
final crack front
a0q predicted original crack depth

ai crack depth measured from one of the nine equally-spaced points along
the final crack front
af calculated final crack depth from the unloading elastic compliance
ap physical final crack depth
a p a p = a p a0

B specimen thickness in the direction parallel to the crack front

B0 ligament thickness: B0 = B a 0
Beff effective thickness
net thickness-distance between the roots of the side grooves in side-
BN
grooved specimens
Ci compliance corresponding to the ith load/unload sequence
E elastic Young's modulus
E E = E (1 2 )
h machine notch depth
h1 height of lower clip gauge
h2 height of upper clip gauge
L specimen length between grips
LM estimated maximum load: LM = (W a 0 )B N TS
PM peak force for fatigue pre-cracking
PMAX maximum force applied for pre-cracking
PMIN minimum force applied for pre-cracking
PU maximum load during the test

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 PY yield limit load of the un-cracked ligament: PY = (W a 0 )B N YS

R stress ratio: R = PMIN PMAX

Sp span between outer loading points in a three point bend setup
ui normalized compliance corresponding to the ith load/unload sequence
V1 crack opening displacement measured from the lower clip gauge
V2 crack opening displacement measured from the upper clip gauge
W specimen width in the direction of crack propagation
YS 0.2% proof yield strength at the temperature of the fracture test
TS ultimate tensile strength
crack tip opening displacement
M crack mouth opening displacement
Poisson's ratio

4.0 Summary of Test Method

4.1 The test involves loading an SENT specimen to induce stable crack growth
referred to as ductile tearing.

4.2 The preferred SENT specimen geometry is a BXB specimen surface notched from
the OD pipe surface. The specimen shall have an initial a 0 W ratio in the range
0.25 0.35.

4.3 The SENT specimen is loaded in displacement control and is rigidly clamped
during the test, i.e., fixed grip loading.

4.4 The SENT specimen is instrumented with a double clip gauge to permit CTOD to
be measured throughout the test.

4.5 The preferred test method is to determine the CTOD R-curve by testing a single
SENT specimen using either the unloading compliance or electrical potential drop
method to measure the crack growth during the test.

4.6 The multiple-specimen method can be used as an alternative to the single

specimen method. The multiple specimen method requires a minimum of 6
specimens to generate a CTOD-R curve. Although the multiple specimen method
is generally viewed as the baseline test method for R-curve determination the
single specimen method is preferred as it:
Reduces the number of tests required to determine a CTOD R-curve
Provides a more detailed description of the shape of the CTOD R-curve

Page 5 of 36
4.7 The test results are presented as a CTOD-R curve, i.e., a plot of CTOD versus
stable ductile crack growth.

5.0 Significance and Use

5.1 This test method measures CTOD-R curves suitable for use in strain-based
engineering critical assessment (ECA) analysis of pipelines to predict the tensile
strain capacity.

5.2 The measured CTOD-R curves may be dependent on the normalized initial crack
depth, a 0 W . In general, the measured fracture resistance increases as the a 0 W
ratio decreases. It is important to test SENT specimens with an a 0 W ratio that
ensures that the test results are representative and useable in an ECA analysis.
The initial a 0 W ratio shall be in the range of 0.25 0.35. The company shall
specify the target a 0 W ratio for each set of SENT tests.

5.3 The CTOD-R curves determined by this test method characterize the ductile
fracture (tearing) resistance of the pipe and/or girth weld material. The CTOD-R
curve may be influenced by the weld geometry (cross sectional geometry mostly
related to weld bevel geometry) and by the mechanical properties of the girth weld
and parent pipe material. In the presence of high weld overmatch, the weld width
(dimension parallel to the pipe surface and perpendicular to the weld centerline)
may play a significant role on the measured CTOD-R curve. It is important that
CTOD R-curve tests are performed on girth welds and parent pipe that are
representative of production materials and conditions.

5.4 Due to material heterogeneity in a girth weld, it is recommended that at least three
weld metal and three HAZ specimens (defined by crack tip location) are tested to
characterize the CTOD R-curve behavior of a girth weld. The number of specimens
required to fully characterize the CTOD R-curve behavior of a girth weld is
dependent on the girth weld procedure; for example, if the weld was produced by
mechanized or manual welding or if the pipe was welded in the fixed position (5G)
or if it was rotated during welding (1G). The exact number of specimens to be
tested will be specified by the Company on a case by case basis.

6.0 SENT Specimen Details

6.1 Specimen Geometry

6.1.1 The recommended SENT specimen geometry has a square (BxB) cross-
section, (i.e., B = W) with a length between the grips (L) of 10W as shown
in Figure 1. The length of the specimen at each end for gripping shall be
at least 4W giving an overall minimum specimen length of 18W. The
specimen width (W) shall be as close as possible to the pipe wall
thickness.

Page 6 of 36
6.1.2 The specimen orientation relative of the pipe material or girth weld is
illustrated in Figure 2. The specimen axis corresponds to the longitudinal
axis of the pipe.

6.1.3 The SENT specimens shall be prepared using either of the following
options:
Notched using conventional machining followed by fatigue pre-cracking.
Notched using Electro Discharge Machining (EDM) with a wire
diameter of 0.006 inch (0.15 mm) or smaller. A large wire diameter up
to 0.01 inch (0.25 mm) can be used for the initial notching; however,
the initial notch depth shall not exceed 2/3 of a0.
Thin wire EDM notching offers the following advantages over fatigue pre-
cracking:
More accurate notch placement for HAZ tests.
Uniform notch front.
Target a0/W ratio can be achieved accurately.
6.1.4 The SENT specimens shall be surface notched from the pipe outside
diameter (OD) surface.

6.1.5 For SENT specimens that will be notched and fatigue pre-cracked, the
notch shall be machined to a depth that ensures that the initial fatigue pre-
crack length (a o ) is in the range 0.25 a0 W 0.35 allowing for a
minimum fatigue crack length of at least 1.3 mm from the machined notch.
The notch profile shall be contained within the envelope shown in Figure
3. In order to facilitate fatigue pre-cracking at low stress intensity levels,
the root radius of the notch should be 0.08 mm or less. The plane of the
notch shall be perpendicular to the specimen surface within 2o .

6.1.6 For SENT specimens that will be EDM notched, the notch shall be
machined to a depth (a o ) that is in the range 0.25 a0 W 0.35 .

6.1.7 Weld metal samples shall be notched at the weld centerline. HAZ samples
shall be notched so that the fatigue pre-crack or EDM notch tip is located
in the HAZ and within 0.5 mm of the weld fusion line. The Company shall
provide specific instructions on HAZ notch locations after the weld
procedure and weld geometry are established.

6.1.8 Following EDM notching or fatigue pre-cracking, the SENT specimens

shall be side-grooved to promote uniform stable crack growth across the
specimen during testing. The root of the side groves shall be located at
the center of the specimen length and shall be perpendicular to the long
dimension of the specimen. The recommended side-groove depth is 5%

Page 7 of 36
 of the specimen thickness on each side giving a net specimen thickness
(BN) equal to 90% B. The root radius of the side-groove shall be equal to
0.5 0.2mm . The included angle of the side-groove shall be less than 90.
The recommended side-groove configuration is shown in Figure 4.

6.2 Specimen Preparation:

6.2.1 Due to weld residual stresses, the SENT specimen blanks removed from
a welded pipe may exhibit angular distortion. In such cases, the Test
Laboratory shall contact the Company to determine if the specimen blanks
shall be machined flat or tested in the misaligned condition. Bending of the
specimen to reduce angular distortion is prohibited.

6.3 Fatigue Pre-cracking:

6.3.1 The fatigue pre-crack extension from the machined notch front shall be at
least 0.05 W or 1.3 mm whichever is larger.

6.3.2 The SENT specimens shall be fatigue pre-cracked in three-point bending.

6.3.3 The bend load fixture used for fatigue pre-cracking should be such that
the stress distribution is uniform through the specimen thickness to ensure
even fatigue crack growth.

6.3.4 The SENT specimen should be accurately positioned within the load
fixture to ensure that the notch is aligned with the central load point.

6.3.5 The SENT specimen shall be fatigue pre-cracked at the highest practical
frequency.

6.3.6 The recommended initial maximum fatigue force is PMAX = 0.8 PM where

0.5 B(W h ) YS
2
PM = (1)
Sp

6.3.7 The R-ratio (PMIN/PMAX) during fatigue pre-cracking shall be in the range 0
to 0.1.

6.3.8 After fatigue pre-cracking to the desired a0 W ratio, the SENT specimens
shall be side-grooved as described in Section 6.1.

7.0 Instrumentation

7.1 Test Machine Instrumentation

7.1.1 The test machine shall be instrumented so that the following parameters
can be measured continuously during the test:

Page 8 of 36

Applied Load

Load Line Displacement

7.1.2 The load cell shall be calibrated in accordance with ASTM E1820 and
ASTM E4.

7.2 SENT Specimen Instrumentation

7.2.1 The SENT specimens shall be instrumented with a double clip gauge
arrangement to permit the crack mouth opening displacement to be
measured at two different heights above the specimen surface during the
test.

7.2.2 The vertical distance between the two sets of knife-edges on the double
clip gauge fixture shall be at least 0.25 W.

7.2.3 The knife-edge fixture for the clip gauges shall be attached to the
specimen surface using either screws or welding. If the former is used, it
is recommended that each knife edge should be attached using two
screws as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The screw holes shall be drilled and
tapped using machining fixtures that ensure the holes are perpendicular to
the specimen surface. Hand drilling is prohibited. The distance between
the centers of the two holes, S , shall be equal to 5 mm or 0.5 B whichever
is smaller. The distance from the centers of the holes to the notch surface,
D, shall be equal to 1.5-2 times the screw diameter. The screw hole depth
shall be equal to 5 mm or one half of the machined notch depth h (Figure
3) whichever is smaller. The parallel alignment of the knife-edges shall be
within 1o. The screws shall all be fastened with equal and sufficient torque
to prevent loosening during testing and this fastening shall account for
reduced temperature testing and deformations occurring during testing.

7.2.4 The knife-edges should be as small as possible, but capable of supporting

the clip gauges without shifting or moving during the test.

7.2.5 If the knife edges are attached by welding, the welds shall be small
enough such that the welding heat does not affect the metallurgy of the
notch tip region. The weld heat affected zone shall be at least 3 mm from
the notch (or precrack) tip. The welds shall be free from cracks or other
defects that can extend during testing and cause relative movement
between the knife edges and the specimen. The number of welds and
location of the welds shall be positioned to prevent relative movement
between the knife edges and the specimen throughout the duration of the
test.

7.2.6 A recommended design for a double clip gauge fixture with knife-edges is
shown in Figure 7.

Page 9 of 36
 7.2.7 A triangulation rule is used to evaluate both the crack-mouth and crack-tip
opening displacements. The recommended clip gauges are relatively
narrow to allow for both gauges to be mounted on a small knife edge
stand as shown in Figure 6. Relatively compact clip gauges are available
from Tension Measurement such as shown in Figure 8.

7.3 Electrical Potential Drop Instrumentation

7.3.1 If the electrical potential drop method is used to monitor stable crack
growth during the test, the specimen shall be instrumented as required by
the Test Laboratory Potential Drop Test Procedure.

7.3.2 Typical electrical potential drop instrumentation includes:

A high quality constant current power source which is connected to the
SENT specimen through electrical leads positioned half way between
the center of the SENT specimen and the grips at each end of the
specimen. Note, the electrical potential drop method requires that at
least one end of the SENT specimen is insulated from the test machine
(grips).

A nano voltmeter which is connected to the SENT specimen through
electrical leads on either side of the notch. The voltmeter is used to
measure the voltage (potential drop) across the specimen notch during
the test. The change in voltage during the test is used to predict stable
crack growth.

8.0 Test Procedure

8.1 Objectives and Overview

8.1.1 The overall objective of the test method is to load a specimen in

displacement control while monitoring the applied load. The test is
stopped after a certain amount crack growth is achieved.

8.1.2 The double-clip-gauge method is used to obtain a direct measurement of

CTOD.

8.1.3 If the unloading compliance technique is used to measure crack growth,

multiple load/unload cycles are conducted to measure the change in
compliance as the applied load is increased. The load/unload cycles are
not required if other methods are used to measure crack growth.

8.1.4 If the electrical potential drop method is used, the voltage across the
specimen notch is measured continuously during the test and a plot of
potential drop versus displacement (CMOD or CTOD) is generated. This
plot is used to determine the point of stable crack growth initiation and to
predict stable crack growth as a function of CTOD.

Page 10 of 36
 8.1.5 At the completion of each test, the specimen is removed from the load
frame, heat tinted and then cooled in liquid nitrogen prior to being broken
into two pieces to expose the fracture surfaces. The crack growth at the
end of the test is measured optically from the specimen fracture surfaces
and compared to the crack growth measurements obtained from either
compliance or potential drop measurements.

8.2 Specimen measurements

8.2.1 The following specimen dimensions shall be measured before side-

grooving.
Specimen Thickness (B): The specimen thickness shall be measured at
three equally spaced positions along the specimen centerline. The
maximum variation shall be less than 0.025 mm or 0.5%, whichever is
larger. The specimen thickness is taken to be the average of the three
measurements.
Specimen Width (W): The specimen width shall be measured at three
equally spaced positions along the specimen centerline. The maximum
variation shall be less than 0.025 mm. The specimen width is taken to be
the average of the three measurements.

8.2.2 Before testing, the specimen should be marked with scribe lines to note
the edges of the areas that will be gripped. This shall be done by drawing
two lines, each at a distance of 5W from the specimen centerline and
these lines shall be perpendicular to the long dimension of the specimen.

8.3 Specimen test temperature

8.3.1 The temperature control requirements of ASTM 1820 shall be met.

8.3.2 The temperature of the specimen during the test shall be controlled and
recorded to an accuracy of 2 o C . Special attention should be taken in
controlling the temperature of the test environment when the potential
drop method is used.

8.3.3 The temperature of the specimen shall be stable and uniform during the
test and shall not vary by more than 1 oC.

8.4 Knife-edge and clip gauge attachment

8.4.1 The knife-edge stands shall be attached to the specimen surface using
screws or by welding before testing.

8.4.2 The knife edges shall be in parallel alignment to a tolerance of 1. The

initial spacing between knife-edges should be within the clip-gauge
working range.

Page 11 of 36
 8.4.3 The clip gauges shall be attached to the knife-edges after the specimen is
clamped in the test machine. An SENT specimen instrumented with a
double-clip-gauge setup is shown in Figure 9.

8.4.4 The clip gauges shall be firmly seated in the knife-edges by lightly moving
(wiggling) the gauges back and forth.

8.5 Electrical Potential Drop Instrumentation

8.5.1 When using the potential drop method to determine stable crack growth,
at least one end (and preferably both ends) of the SENT specimen shall
be electrically isolated from the test machine. The specimen can be
isolated from the test machine at the grips or the load cell.

8.5.2 If the potential drop method is used for crack growth measurement, then
the current and voltage leads shall be attached to the SENT specimen
prior to placing the specimen in the test machine. The positioning of the
current and voltage leads is important and needs to be consistent for all
specimens to ensure a constant calibration. The current leads shall be
positioned as far away from the notch as possible (preferably at the ends
of the specimen) to ensure a uniform current flux at the notch. The
voltage leads shall be located in the center of the specimen as close to
the notch as possible.

8.5.3 Since the voltage drop across the specimen notch is small, it is important
that an accurate nano-voltmeter is used to record the change in voltage
during the test.

8.5.4 Iron constantan thermocouple wire shall be used for the voltage leads to
minimize thermal electromagnetic fields (EMFs) since the voltage leads
will act as thermocouples

8.5.5 To minimize radio frequency (RF) induced noise, the voltage leads shall
be made up of several wires twisted together.

8.5.6 The potential drop method is sensitive to temperature changes (specimen

temperature and test laboratory temperature). If the specimen is tested
below room temperature, the specimen shall be immersed in a liquid to
minimize temperature fluctuations. It is also important that the voltage
leads do not experience temperature changes due to fluctuations in the
laboratory temperature.

8.6 Specimen gripping and alignment

8.6.1 Hydraulic grips are required to clamp the specimens. A high clamping
force is important to ensure that the specimen does not slip during the test.

8.6.2 The maximum load to be applied to the specimen shall be estimated by:

Page 12 of 36
 LM = TS (W a 0 )B N . (2)

8.6.3 The minimum gripping pressure shall be calculated based on LM and the
appropriate equation described in the users manual for the hydraulic grips.
The applied gripping pressure for clamping the specimen shall not be less
than the calculated gripping pressure.

8.6.4 The specimen shall be aligned along the load axis of the test machine to
minimize shear and bending moment loads.

8.6.5 The specimen length between the two gripped areas shall be equal to
10W 0.1W .

8.7 Testing

8.7.1 Before applying load to the specimen, the readings from both clip gauges
shall be zeroed.

8.7.2 The specimen shall be loaded in displacement control with a constant rate
not exceeding 0.025 mm/s.

8.7.3 If the unloading compliance technique is used, the specimen shall be

loaded and unloaded repeatedly at least five times within the range of
0.1PY and 0.8 PY (elastic load range) to pre-check the clip-gauge seating.
The crack length for each of the load/unload sequence must be calculated
and the difference between the individual value and the mean shall be
within 5% of the mean value.

8.7.4 If the unloading compliance technique is used, the specimen is subjected

to periodic unload/load cycles that are spaced equally apart as measured
on the load vs. COD (Figure 10). The cycles shall be spaced at a
maximum interval of 0.01W (V1 measured from the lower clip gauge).

8.7.5 Prior to initiating each unloading, the specimen shall be held at a constant
displacement for at least 5 seconds to allow the load to stabilize. The load
drop during each elastic unloading shall be within the range of 0.35 to 0.5
PY.

8.7.6 Plastic necking of the specimen ligament can significantly influence the
estimation of crack depth when using the compliance method. The
maximum crack extension shall not exceed 0.2 B0 . This means that the
load drop value, F , shall be less than 0.2 PU.

8.8 Crack measurement after testing

8.8.1 On completion of the test, the specimen shall be removed from the testing
frame, and heat tinted for 30 minutes at about 300oC to mark the tearing

Page 13 of 36
 zone. The end of heat tint denotes the end of ductile crack growth. The
heat-tinted specimens shall be cooled in liquid nitrogen and broken into
two pieces to expose the fracture surfaces. The fracture faces shall be
protected to prevent rusting. If light oil is used, the oil should be
transparent to allow subsequent optical measurements of the fracture
surface. The fracture surfaces shall be photographed for the permanent
record soon enough after testing such that no surface rust has formed on
the fracture faces.

8.8.2 The facture surface of the specimen shall be examined and measured to
determine the initial crack depth and the final crack depth. The measured
crack growth shall be compared with the crack extension predicted by
either the compliance or potential drop techniques.

8.8.3 The initial and final crack lengths shall be measured at nine equally
spaced points centered about the specimen centerline and extending to
0.005 W from the root of the side groove (see Figure 11). The original
crack depth, a0 , and the final crack depth, a p , shall be calculated by
averaging the near-surface measurements, and combining the result with
the remaining seven crack depth measurements to determine the average
as described in the relationships:

( )
8
a0 = a10 + a09 2 + a0i 8
i =2
. (2)

( )
8
a p = a1p + a 9p 2+ a 8i
p
i =2

8.8.4 None of the nine measurements of original crack depth a0i and final crack
depth a ip may differ by more than 0.05 W from the average crack depth a0
and a p , respectively. If such variance is observed, the result shall be
recorded as invalid.

8.9 HAZ post-test sectioning

8.9.1 HAZ SENT specimens shall be metallurgically examined, post test, to

determine that the precrack tip (or notch tip) was adequately positioned at
the start of the test.

8.9.2 Both halves of the SENT specimen shall be sectioned at the point of
maximum crack length (see Figure ?). If the crack depth is relatively
consistent along a large portion of the crack front, thus making the
deepest point difficult to distinguish, then the location of sectioning shall
be taken as close as practical to the center of the specimen thickness
(B/2) while still representing the maximum crack length.

Page 14 of 36
 8.9.3 The two cross sections shall be metallurgically prepared using standard
polishing and etching techniques. It is recommended that the two sections
be placed into a single metallurgical mount for polishing/etching and that
these sections be placed as close together as possible to re-mate the
fracture surfaces. Due to fracture surface distortion, perfect re-mating may
be difficult; therefore, the emphasis should be to re-mate, as close as
possible, the sections at the point of the precrack tip (or notch tip in the
case of EDM-only notching).

9.0 Analysis of Test Data

9.1 Calculation of CMOD and CTOD

9.1.1 CMOD and CTOD values are calculated by extrapolating the upper and
lower clip gauge displacements back to the specimen surface and original
crack tip using a triangulation rule according to the profile described in
Figure 12.

9.1.2 The following formula shall be used to calculate CMOD:

h1
M = V1 (V2 V1 ) , (3)
h2 h1

where V1 and V2 are the crack opening displacements measured at

different heights above the specimen surface, h1 and h2, respectively.

9.1.3 The following formula shall be used to calculate CTOD:

h1 + a0
= V1 (V2 V1 ) . (4)
h2 h1

The initial crack depth (ao) shall be determined according to Section 8.8.

9.2 Calculation of crack size using unloading compliance

9.2.1 The elastic unloading compliance determined from the load-CMOD

response curve is used to calculate the crack size corresponding to each
load/unload sequence as described in Figure 10.

9.2.2 The crack size is calculated using the relationship:

ai
= 1.64461 8.7084ui + 30.31342ui2 69.60922ui3
W (5)
+ 83.52325ui4 39.11201ui5

where ui is the normalized compliance corresponding to the ith

load/unload sequence defined by:

Page 15 of 36
 1
ui = , (6)
1 + E Bef Ci

where:

Ci = ( M P ) is the compliance for the ith load/unload sequence,

Bef = B ( B BN ) B , and
2

(
E = E 1 2 .)
9.2.3 All crack size and CTOD pairs, ai and i , shall be identified
corresponding to each unload/load cycle. Here, i is the value of CTOD
immediately prior to the ith load/unload cycle as described in Figure 10.

9.3 CTOD-R curve determination using unloading compliance

9.3.1 The initial crack size, a 0 q , shall be determined using the set of points
identified in Section 9.2.3 and the following relationship:
a( ) = a 0 q + 1.4 + C1 2 + C 2 3 . (7)

9.3.2 As shown in Figure 13, due to the phenomena of crack backup, the initial
unloading compliance data may indicate that the crack growth is negative.
This is a typical response as measured by un-loading compliance and is
non-physical. To correct the data, the following procedure is used to
determine an estimate of the original crack size. Equation (7) is fit to the
ai / i data pairs starting from the data point at the minimum crack length,
aimin , and ending at the final crack depth. The data is fitted using the
method of least squares to determine a 0 q . The calculated initial crack size,
a0 q , shall be compared with the average initial crack depth, a0 , to qualify
the test (Refer to 10.2).

9.3.3 For each measured ai , the corresponding crack growth shall be

calculated as follows:
ai = ai a0 q . (8)

9.3.4 The CTOD-R curve shall be obtained by plotting ai versus i as shown

in Figure 14.

9.3.5 The CTOD-R curve determined in 9.3.4 shall be fit to the following power
law equation to determine and .

Page 16 of 36
 CTOD = (a )

(9)
The data shall be fitted from a = 0.5mm to the last measured crack
growth value using the method of least squares. Figure 15 illustrates the
fitting procedure.

9.4 Calculation of crack size using electrical potential drop method

9.4.1 The voltage change across the specimen notch shall be measured during
the test and plotted against the calculated CTOD (using the double clip
gauge method) as shown in Figure 16.

9.4.2 During the early stage of elastic loading there should be no change in
voltage across the notch. However, as plasticity develops at the crack tip
and through the ligament, there is a linear change in voltage with
displacement. This is due to the material resistivity increasing with
plasticity. The initiation of slow stable crack growth coincides with the
point at which the voltage versus displacement trace deviates from the
linear region associated with plasticity (blunting).

9.4.3 The Test Laboratory validated electrical potential drop calibration curve
shall be used to predict the stable crack growth during the test as a
function of the potential drop following the initiation of stable crack growth.
The values of stable crack growth obtained using the calibration curve do
not include blunting.

9.4.4 As an alternative to the use of a validated calibration curve, a linear

relationship can be assumed between voltage change and crack growth
(after the initiation of stable crack growth) provided the crack growth (a)
is less than 0.1W. The calculated values of stable crack growth do not
include blunting. For larger amounts of crack growth (a > 0.1W), a linear
relationship between voltage and stable crack growth can not be assumed.

9.4.5 The voltage versus calculated CTOD record shall be analyzed as follows
to develop a CTOD R-curve:
o The voltage (Vinit) and CTOD (init) values at the point of predicted
stable crack initiation shall be determined from the voltage versus
CTOD record.
o The calculated value of CTOD (end) at the end of the test shall be
determined and the voltage and displacement corresponding to the
point of initiation shall be recorded.
o The calculated CTOD range (end init) shall be divided into at least
10 and preferably 20 equal increments.
o A table shall be created that lists the calculated values of CTOD and
stable crack growth (excluding blunting) for each increment.

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 o The calculated values of stable crack growth shall be adjusted to
account for crack tip blunting by adding half of the CTOD value at the
initiation of stable crack growth (init) to the calculated values of
stable crack growth.
o The CTOD-R curve shall be obtained by plotting ai versus i as
shown in Figure 13.

9.4.6 The CTOD-R curve determined in 9.4.5 shall be fit to the following power
law equation:
CTOD = (a )

(9)
to determine and . The data shall be fitted from 0.5 mm to the final
measured crack growth value.

10.0 Validity Requirements

10.1 The following validity checks shall be performed prior to commencing an SENT
CTOD R-curve test:
The fatigue crack on both sides of the specimen shall extend at least 0.05
W or 1.3 mm, whichever is larger, from the machined notch.
For weld metal notched SENT tests, the notch or precrack shall be located
at the weld center line. The position of the centerline shall be at a point
halfway between the outermost weld toes on the OD surface of the weld.
These weld toes are the locations where the weld metal touches the base
metal on either side of the cap pass(es).
For HAZ notched SENT tests, the notch tips or fatigue pre-crack tips on
both sides of the specimen shall be on the fusion line or entirely within the
HAZ.

10.2 The following validity checks shall be performed after completing an SENT CTOD
R-curve test:
The normalized initial average crack length, a0 W , shall be in the range
from 0.25 to 0.35.
None of the nine physical measurements of initial crack size shall differ by
more than 0.05 W from the average initial crack length, a0 .
None of the nine physical measurements of final crack size shall differ by
more than 0.05 W from the average final crack length, a p .

The calculated initial crack size, a0 q , in Section 9.3 shall not differ from a0
by more than 0.5 mm.
The calculated crack growth from elastic compliance or potential drop at the

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 last unload/load sequence, a f = a f a0 q , shall not differ from the
measured crack growth, a p = a p a0 , by more than 0.15a p .
As determined on the post-test cross sections, the location of the precrack
tip (or notch tip in the case of EDM-only notching) shall be located within the
etched HAZ and shall be within 0.5 mm of the fusion line.

11.0 Test report

11.1 The test report shall include, at minimum, the following information:

11.1.1 A summary of the test procedure.

11.1.2 Type of test specimen (base material, weld metal or HAZ).

11.1.3 Material properties including yield and tensile strength at room

temperature for base material and weld metals.

11.1.4 Specimen dimensions and the heights of lower and upper clip gauges
above the specimen surface.

11.1.5 Test temperature and loading rate.

11.1.6 Load-crack opening displacement record for both lower and upper clip
gauges.

11.1.7 Measured initial and final crack depths at 9 equally spaced points. The
average initial crack depth and final crack depth according to Section 9.2.

11.1.8 Photographic record of the fracture surfaces. In the case of HAZ

specimens, photographic record of the crack tip cross sections as
explained in 10.2.

11.1.9 Calculated initial and final crack sizes, a0q and a f .

11.1.10 Qualified CTOD-R curves.

11.1.11 and as determined in 9.3.5 or 9.3.6.

Appendix A: Calculation of Compliance

1. In Figure A1 (a), a typical load versus CMOD curve is plotted. The value of CMOD,
M , determined from Equation (3) is used to calculate compliance. In general, the
slope of the unload/reload cycle is calculated by linear regression using the method
of least squares fitting to obtain the slope of a straight line through the unload/reload
data points. The unload/reload data points are fitted together to obtain the slope, e,
and:

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 Mi 1
Ci = = is the compliance for the ith unload/reload cycle.
Pi e
2. Data filtering is required to reduce errors in the compliance measurement due to
noise originating from the clip gauge response to the initiation of the unload and
reload cycle. Figure A2 (a) is an enlarged view of one unload/reload cycle obtained
from the force vs. CMOD data plotted in Figure A1. Two transient zones are visible,
one at the start of the unload cycle, and one at the start of the reload cycle. The
transient zone is characterized by a nonlinear response in the force vs. CMOD data.
The nonlinearity is characteristic and may be due to a lag in the response of the clip
gauge as the load direction is changed or due to the continuation of plastic
deformation near the crack tip as the load is increased past the initiation point of the
unload cycle. It is necessary to remove the data points in the transient regions from
the compliance calculation to ensure an accurate measurement of the elastic
response of the crack mouth during the load cycle. Figure A2 (b) is an example of a
filtered data set obtained from the data plotted in Figure A2 (a). A straight line is
fitted through the unload/reload data to obtain the slope of the data such that Force
(CMOD) = e(CMOD) + C using a method of least squares fitting. (Note: All data for
both loading and unloading are used together to do the fitting without separating
unload and load. The fitting scheme is the same as that used by Scott for CTOD
testing.)
3. The compliance, Ci, is associated with the CMOD corresponding to the CMOD at the
initiation of the unload cycle as indicated in Figure A2 (a).

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 Specimen
centerline
Day-light
between grips
L=10W
Surface notch

Figure 1a. Recommended SENT specimen geometry.

Page 21 of 36
 B

OD Surface Notch
SENT Specimen

Girth Weld

Figure 2. SENT Specimen orientation with respect to the pipe.

0.063 W max.

Fatigue
1.3 mm min.
crack

60o max.

Figure 3. Crack starter notch and envelope of fatigue precrack.

Page 22 of 36
 Precrack or notch

Top view of a SENT Side groove

specimen

0.5 0.2 mm

5% B

Detailed view of
Included angle <90o
side groove

Figure 4. Recommended side-groove configuration.

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 hd 0.5%

D 0.5%

Side view

Top view S0.5%

Figure 5. Recommended threaded hole locations with respect to the specimen

notch

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Figure 6. An SENT specimen with a double clip gauge fixture.

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 8 mm

2 mm

2 mm
3 mm

Figure 7. Recommended double clip gauge fixture.

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 Cover
14 mm

27 mm 13 mm

Gauge Width: 5mm

46 mm
Notch as specified
in ASTM E399

Figure 8. Clip-gauge geometry for 6-mm working range (DG-Narrow Displacement

Gauge by Tension Measurement, Inc).

Figure 9. Setup of SENT specimen instrumented with double clip-gauges.

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 Force, F

PU

Figure 10. Recommended record of crack opening displacement force curve

showing equally-spaced load/unload sequence.

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 a1p a 2p a 3p a 4p a 5p a 6p a 7p a 8p a 9p

Side-Groove Root

Tearing Front

Fatigue Precrack Front

Machine Notch Front

Figure 11. Measurement of final crack growth.

Page 29 of 36
Figure 12. Illustration of a growing-crack profile used for calculating both CMOD
and CTOD using double clip-gauge method.

Page 30 of 36
 12
Range used for fitting compliance data
to determine the initial crack depth
10

8
(mm)
ai(mm)

6
Point with the minimum value of aimin

4 Region of crack back-up growth

characterized by decreasing crack growth

2 Test Data
Least Square Fit

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3
CTOD (mm)
CTOD (mm)

Figure 13. Method to determine the initial crack depth, a0 q .

Page 31 of 36
 CTOD

i i+1
i-1

Figure 14. Illustration of a CTOD-R curve. Each point in the curves corresponds to
a load/unload sequence described in Figure 10.

Page 32 of 36
 3
SENT R-curve
Power law fit
CTOD (mm)

1

0.71
CTOD = 1.36(a)
0
0 0.5 1 2 3
a (mm)

Figure 15. Curve fitting of CTOD-R curve by a power law equation to determine
and .

Page 33 of 36
 Schematic Voltage versus CTOD Record
35

30

25
Voltage (Nano Volts)

20

15
Point of Stable
Crack Growth
Initiation
10

5
init end - init end

0
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2
CTOD (mm)

Figure 16. Plot of Voltage Drop versus CTOD

Page 34 of 36
 100
90
80
70
Force (kN)

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0 1 2 3 4 5
COD (mm)
CMOD (mm) (a)

Figure A1. (a) Load versus CMOD record

Page 35 of 36
 CMOD (mm)

(a)

CMOD (mm)

(b)

FIGURE A2. (a) Enlarged view of a unload/reload sequence, (b) Example results of
filtered data for calculating compliance of ith unload cycle

Page 36 of 36