T-joint welding is a key manufacturing process of large storage tanks. However, complex residual stresses are generated and have a great effect on the structural integrity of storage tanks. The high residual stress caused by welding and the discontinuous structure may result in tank cracking and failure. In this work, the residual stress distributions on the inner surface, outer surface, and thickness direction of the T-joint were investigated by using the finite element method and indentation test method. The effect of local PWHT with different heating temperatures, heating rates, and heating widths on the residual stress distribution was also discussed. Results show that the residual stress of the T-shaped joint is high due to the serious structure discontinuity, multi-layer welding, and high strength. Among all the stresses, the circumferential residual stress is the highest and most concentrated in the outer weld connected with the annular plate. The residual stress gradually decreases with the increase in the heat treatment temperature. When the heating rate is less than 106 °C/h, the residual stress gradually decreases with the decrease in the heating rate. The large thermal deformation caused by heat treatment can be simultaneously avoided by heating the inside and outside of the T-joint. The residual stress decreases with the decrease in the width of the heating zone. The residual stress can be regulated by using a smaller width in the heating zone. An optimized heat treatment scheme with a heating temperature of 700 °C, heating rate of 56 °C/h, and heating width of 200 mm was proposed, which has a good ability to control residual stresses and improve the quality of the T-joint. It also has a good application in engineering.

Girth welds are weak points in pipelines, and failures occur frequently. In a gas transmission pipeline, a girth weld experienced cracking, prompting a failure analysis using experimental methods and finite element analysis (FEA). Experimental results showed that X-ray non-destructive testing (NDT) revealed cracks, porosity, and lack of fusion in the girth weld. However, the hardness and microstructure of the material showed no abnormalities. During operation, the pipeline experienced an increase in soil cover and was subjected to ground subsidence and vehicle loads. Finite element analysis was conducted on the defective girth weld under different conditions, including varying soil cover depths, different levels of subsidence, and varying vehicle loads, to examine the pipeline’s stress response. The results indicated that the combination of soil cover, subsidence, and vehicle loads led to pipeline failure, whereas none of these factors alone was sufficient to cause girth weld failure. To prevent such failures from occurring again, the following measures are recommended: strengthen on-site welding quality control of girth welds, conduct inspections for defects in girth welds of in-service pipelines, and promptly address any defects that exceed acceptable limits.

A new D457 × 7.1 X65ERW oil pipeline leaked twice during the pressure test. The two failed oil pipes belonged to the same batch of products from the same manufacturer. Failure analysis showed that the cracks in the 1# and 2# cracking pipes propagated from the outer surface of the pipe wall to the inner surface along the weld fusion line. The inclusion phase distributed in chains in the weld zone is speculated to be the root cause of the cracking in the pressure test. The fitness-for-service of this batch of steel pipes was analyzed using the failure-assessment chart technique. The batch of steel pipes could be used safely under the design pressure of 10 MPa, and the re-evaluation period of three years was recommended for the pipeline based on the fatigue results of the steel-pipe weld zone.