Effect of Loading Rate on the Fracture Behavior of Nuclear Piping Materials Under Cyclic Loading Conditions

This study investigated the loading rate effect on the fracture resistance under cyclic loading conditions to understand clearly the fracture behavior of piping materials under seismic conditions. J–R fracture toughness tests were conducted under monotonic and cyclic loading conditions at various displacement rates at room temperature and the operating temperature of nuclear power plants (i.e., 316°C). SA508 Gr.1a low-alloy steel and SA312 TP316 stainless steel piping materials were used for the tests. The fracture resistance under a reversible cyclic load was considerably lower than that under monotonic load regardless of test temperature, material, and loading rate. Under both cyclic and monotonic loading conditions, the fracture behavior of SA312 TP316 stainless steel was independent of the loading rate at both room temperature and 316°C. For SA508 Gr.1a low-alloy steel, the loading rate effect on the fracture behavior was appreciable at 316°C under cyclic and monotonic loading conditions. However, the loading rate effect diminished when the cyclic load ratio of the load (R) was −1. Thus, it was recognized that the fracture behavior of piping materials, including seismic loading characteristics, can be evaluated when tested under a cyclic load of R = −1 at a quasistatic loading rate.