VARIABILITY OF FRACTURE TOUGHNESS IN A514/517 PLATE

Fracture toughness of A514/517 steel (grades F&H) is reported for 76 plates tested during the Bryte Bend Bridge and Tuolumne River Bridge litigation. Data is compiled, plotted and evaluated to show the variations with respect to steel type, grade, heat, slab, position in thickness, rolling direction and tensile properties. The reproductibility of data from laboratory to laboratory is evaluated. Precracked Charpy impact data is presented and evaluated to show its usefullness in estimating NDT temperature. Data is plotted and evaluated to determine the effect of loading rate on transition temperature based on compact tension testing versus Charpy impact testing and also the effect of notch acuity on transition behavior in the Charpy V-notch and precrack Charpy impact testing. (FHWA)