Effects of acoustic wave velocities in bridge steels on ultrasonic testing
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[EMBARGOED UNTIL 05/01/2026] Ultrasonic testing (UT) Is commonly used in the manufacturing of steel bridges to assure weld quality by identifying discontinuities that are either acceptable or rejectable. However, UT accuracy is influenced by the differences in acoustic properties between the material under inspection and the calibration reference standard. Variations in shear wave velocity can change the refracted angle and amplitude of ultrasonic waves, resulting in misclassification or missed indications. This research investigates acoustic anisotropy and its effects in a variety of modern bridge steels, including as-rolled, controlled-rolled, thermomechanically controlled processed (TMCP), quenched and tempered (QT), CR-50 stainless steel, and additively manufactured (AM) materials. Velocity measurements in several propagation directions were carried out using pulse-echo ultrasonic methods, and the second-order elastic constants (Cij) were calculated by analyzing twelve wave modes and observed densities. The findings reveal that elastic and acoustic properties vary greatly depending on manufacturing process and orientation relative to the rolling direction, with anisotropy affecting both wave velocity and signal amplitude. The study also examines the implications of beam splitting in anisotropic materials and how it affects shear wave sensitivity during weld inspection. The findings highlight the need of accounting for materialspecific acoustic properties in UT calibration, as well as providing input data for finite element modeling and simulation in ultrasonic inspection software like CIVA.
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Ph. D.