ABSTRACT
Residual stresses in large offshore mooring chains have been measured for the first time and presented in this article. Two chain links with the same size and material, one only subjected to proof load and no cyclic service loads and the other exposed to service loads as well as the proof load, were selected for the experiment. Residual stresses just below the surface were measured using the hole-drilling technique and the neutron diffraction technique was employed for deeper measurements. The data can be used to investigate residual stress redistribution in the chain links because of material removal due to corrosion and cyclic service loads that the chains are exposed to during their service time. Moreover, the data can be used to validate numerical models for predicting residual stresses. A more detailed interpretation of the data presented in this article is provided in "Experimental and numerical study of mooring chain residual stresses and implications for fatigue life" [1].