The overall objectives of the research were:
1. To evaluate the residual stain distribution in pipeline girth welds, including the residual strain in the region of weld imperfections.
2. To observe the failure behavior of girth welds containing imperfections with known residual strain distributions.
The project was carried out using two test welds produced in the pipe with wall thicknesses of approximately 11 mm (0.43”) and 16 mm (0.63”).