Crack analysis of welds

The paper details a methodology for modeling fatigue-induced crack growth in the Forged Weld Zone (FWZ) of an Electric Resistance Welding (ERW) process. Utilizing ANSYS Static Structural and APDL modules, it applies strain-life analysis and calculates the intensity factor KI. The study focuses on a 20" API 5L Gr B carbon steel pipe under specific pressure and temperature conditions, starting from an induced crack. It integrates existing literature while proposing innovative variants, and employs two load cycles to analyze crack propagation using the Paris equation.