Digital image correlation (DIC) is a non-contact optical method that allows measuring displacements on a plane used to determine the strains caused by external loads of a structural element (mechanical or thermal). Currently, digital image correlation is a widely used experimental technique to assess the mechanical behavior of materials, in particular cracking characteristics and destruction methods of various structural elements. In this paper, the DIC method is applied to determine local strains of titanium alloy Ti6Al4V specimen. The samples used in the tests were made with two different technologies: (a) from a drawn bar by machining process; and (b) by the additive manufacturing method Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS). The aim of the paper is to present the mechanical properties test results of the Ti6Al4V titanium alloy produced by the DMLS additive manufacturing under static loads using the digital image correlation method. As a result of the tests carried out on the drawn bar specimens, it was concluded that the change in the measurement base affects the difference in the Young’s E modulus value in the range from 89.2 to 103.8 GPa. However, for samples formed using the DMLS method, the change in the Young’s modulus value was from 112.9 to 115.3 GPa for the same measurement base.

In this paper, the possibilities of detection and measurement of fatigue crack length in welded joints made of steel of duplex type, have been presented. In the investigations there has been used an original research system FatigueVIEW employing advanced optoelectronic techniques and numerical methods of image analysis. The proposed approach enables analysis of the fatigue crack growth during fatigue tests and after their finishing in off-line mode.

The study presents an analysis of S355J2+N steel and AA5083 aluminum alloy welded structural joints using explosion welded transition joints of reduced thickness. The transition joint thickness reduction significantly hinders the welding of the joints due to the risk of damage to the Al/steel interface as a result of the high temperatures during welding. In the previous article, the strength of the transition joint was analyzed but ship structures, apart from static loads, are subjected to many different cyclical loads. Welded structural joints are analyzed to determine the welding influence on the fatigue life and fracture type of the transition joints. The results of the fatigue tests show that the fatigue damage in the specimens occurs in the aluminum welded joint, and not in the explosively welded joint. The damage obtained was characteristic of cruciform welded joint specimens and both types of root and toe damage occurred. Based on the obtained results, fatigue curves for the joint were determined and compared to the fatigue curves for the AA5083 base material. The experimental fatigue curve was also compared with the design curve for welded aluminum structures from Eurocode. The conducted analysis showed the possibility of using Al/steel explosion welded transition joints of reduced thickness to transfer cyclical loads.