The Ultrasonic Peening (UP) is the most efficient technique for increasing the fatigue life of welded elements as compared to such existing improvement treatments as grinding, TIGdressing, shot peening, hammer peening, etc. The results of experimental investigation of the efficiency of UP for rehabilitation and repair of welded elements and structures with the goal of preventing the origination and propagation of fatigue cracks are considered in this document. UP treatment was applied to large-scale welded specimens in as-welded condition, after 50% of expected fatigue life and after repair of fatigue cracks. Also, different techniques for restraining and repair of fatigue cracks were analyzed and compared: overloading; drilling of the crack tips; drilling of the crack tips with installation of high strength bolts; local explosive treatment; local heat treatment; welding with and without UP of weld toe zones. As an example, the practical application of UP for rehabilitation and repair of welded elements of highway and railway bridges are also discussed.

The technology and equipment for determination of residual stresses in the welded structures, using electron speckle-interferometry combined with the hole-drilling method (ESPI-HD), have been described. A special new approach to the conventional method of speckle-interferometry to investigate the stress gradients over the test object surface has been added. The developed equipment has been applied for determination of residual stresses in the different structures: the gas-turbine rotor, the welded shell and the structural elements with the large grain size.

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