Error and Uncertainty Analysis of the Residual Stresses Computed by Using the Hole Drilling Method

:  The hole-drilling method is one of the most used techniques for the experimental analysis of the residual stresses in mechanical components. For both through-thickness uniform and non-uniform residual stress distributions, its application is standardised by the ASTM E837-08. In accordance with the ASTM limitations, the analysis of uniform residual stresses, to which the present work deals with, leads in general to results with a maximum bias of about 10%. Unfortunately, in general the user does not have appropriate procedures to estimate the actual stress error; consequently, if one or more of the experimental influence parameters fall out of the corresponding standard limitations, the c…