Abstract: The distribution of temperature in a steel plate heated by pedrail-type heaterswas measured and the distributions of welding residual stresses as welded and after stress relief were investigated with hole- drilling strain-gauge method. The results show that, the temperature gradient along the thickness of the testing plate heated by a pedrail-type heater is neglectable and the temperature distribution is uniformafter a reasonable heating time, and that comparable effects of residual stress relief can be obtained with pedrail- type heater and in furnace.