Investigating corrosion-induced deterioration in bolted steel plate joints using guided wave ultrasonic inspection

Abstract Bolted steel plate joints encounter challenges posed by joint corrosion, which impact the quality of interfacial contact among the bolted components. Unfortunately, no correlation between corrosion-induced joint damage and preload, nor an existing numerical model capable of capturing such effects, has been identified. This study aims to utilize guided wave ultrasonic investigation to examine the deterioration of interfacial contact caused by corrosion in bolted joints. Additionally, a contact modification-based numerical approach is presented to capture the effects of changing interfacial stress during joint corrosion. Guided wave mode selection was conducted with some preliminary experiments supplemented with the theory of wave mode dispersion, hence leading to the selection of S0 and A0 mode existing at 300 kHz. The joint was then corroded in a controlled manner using an electrochemical process while simultaneous ultrasonic measurements were taken. The experimental observations highlighted the progressive dispersion in the transmitted A0 mode across the bolted joint, potentially due to changing interfacial stress boundaries between the plates. A damage parameter, termed the dispersion index, was developed based on the energy ratio of different signal sections. A linear change in the dispersion index was observed with the increase in corrosion-induced mass loss. The insight was further established through a numerical investigation by studying the effect of changing bolt preload and the corresponding interfacial stress distribution. The findings revealed that monitoring the changes in the stress distribution at the bolted interface can provide insight into interfacial corrosion. Eventually, destructive tension test results confirmed the effect of joint corrosion on the load-bearing capacity of the joint. The change in failure mode of the pristine and corroded specimen is observed. The reported approach establishes the potential of ultrasonic inspection to investigate the interfacial health of a bolted joint in corroding conditions.