An experimental investigation of residual stress in quenched flat plates

The residual stresses induced in a quenched flat plate are measured experimentally. A flat plate approximating the theoretical infinite flat plate, after being heated to a uniform temperature, is quenched uniformly from both sides in order to cause a residualstress distribution. The residual stresses are obtained by successively grinding the plate on one side and measuring the resulting strains on the opposite side. Experiments are performed on plates experiencing no phase transformation—316 stainless steel. Comparison of results is made with the predicted stress distributions from the analysis of Landau and Weiner, which is derived from the time-temperature history of the plate during its quench.