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Abstract
more than 22 - 25 mm. Investigations of this effect were
Manually produced butt-welds in thin plates, here consi- described in [4], [5] and [6]. Current classification rules
dered with a plate thickness of 4 mm, show high pre- regard this thickness effect, e.g. [7]. Frequently the in-
deformations induced by the welding process. These verse effect is postulated for thin plates [8]. This behav-
deformations have a large influence on the stresses ap- iour cannot be observed here, corresponding to investi-
pearing at the weld toe under cyclic loads. Angular dis- gations in [9].
tortion and axial misalignment are the common va-
riables, which have to be regarded while calculating the
structural hot-spot stresses by finite elements. Even if
these deformations are taken into account in the stresses
by a FE-model, a decrease of fatigue strength was ob-
served in former investigations. Also FEM-calculations
by notch stress approach give a rather low result and no
explanation, although more geometric parameters were
taken into account in these calculations. The additional
parameters are flank angles, weld reinforcements and
weld breadths, the weld radii were set to 1 mm following
the IIW recommendations. During these investigations it
was observed, that a number of specimens have a vary- Figure 1. Fatigue strength of 4, 6 and 9 mm plates given for
ing weld breadth and a crack in the specimen often starts 50% and 97.7% probability of survival
at the point where the breadth of the weld is especially (based on structural hot-spot stress)
wide. This circumstance cannot be considered in a typi-
cal 2-dimensional FE-model. Only FEM-calculations
with a fine-meshed 3-dimensional model reveal stress
magnification at these points. These are particularly high
in relatively thin plates.
Keywords: Butt-weld, fatigue strength, axial misalign-
ment, angular misalignment, notch stress
Former unpublished investigations [1] of manually butt- Welded steel designs with small plate thicknesses gener-
welded plates with 4 mm thickness show a decrease of ally show deformations (axial and angular misalign-
15% of the fatigue strength compared to similar connec- ment), especially when they are welded manually. In
tions in 6 and 9 mm plates. In Figure 1 the summary of shipbuilding these weld seams appear at block joints and
fatigue strengths based on structural stresses is shown. are carried out under constraints. Rules regulate a maxi-
Structural stresses, calculated by the hot-spot concept mum value for axial misalignment (e/t = 0.1), angular
[2], [3], take typical deformations like axial and angular misalignment is not regulated, e.g. [10] and [11]. The
misalignment (Figure 2) into account, but give no expla- limits cannot be fulfilled in thin-plated structures.
nation for the ascertained decrease of the fatigue While measuring the misalignments of the test speci-
strength. In the nominal stress approach, where pre- mens used in [1], it was observed, that there is another
deformations are considered in the S-N curve, the differ- irregularity, which was not noted in stress calculations.
ences are even larger. Rules also do not regard this irregularity. Meant is a
Well known is the plate thickness effect, which describes varying breadth of the weld seam (here called jut), which
a decrease of the fatigue strength at plate thicknesses of occurs because of variations in the welding process due
to unequal speed, wobbling of the welding electrode or All tests were carried out at a nominal stress range of
the fluid welding bead creeps down at horizontal weld 200 MPa and with a stress ratio of R = 0.
position. Another reason is restarting the welding proc-
The specimens were made from higher strength steel
ess after straightening the plate edges, what has to be
D36 (chemical composition in Table 1) having a nominal
done often at thin plates. Figure 3 shows an example of
yield stress of 355 MPa and were assembled under pro-
such an irregularity, obviously this jut arises by a vary-
duction conditions on six different shipyards in four
ing welding speed.
different weld position (PA, PC, PG and PF). The basis
for each series were two plates of 1000 x 300 mm, which
were welded together but not straightened afterwards. At
the laboratories of Hamburg University of Technology
they were saw-cut into small scale specimens. The data
measured for each specimen (partly by laser scan) were:
breadth, length and plate thickness, axial and angular
misalignment, weld breadth, weld reinforcement, weld
toe angles and weld toe radii.
Table 1. Chemical composition [%] D36 steel, 4 mm plate
Figure 3. Example of butt-weld seam with jut (specimen already
fractured in test) Material C Si Mn P S Al
D36 0.176 0.02 1.47 0.014 0.005 0.039
In [12], [13] and [14] it was found out, that a waviness of
the toe along a weld seam is beneficial for the fatigue For an investigation under the aspect described here, the
life. In the present studies it will be investigated, if this is 4 mm specimens were sorted according to well-defined
also true for single discontinuities of weld breadth found juts with the crack starting at the forefront. From the 143
here and how possible effects depend on the plate thick- specimens with a plate thickness of 4 mm, 31 specimens
ness. with juts have been found. These were mainly produced
in the PC position, i.e. transverse position (Table 2).
2. Specimen
Table 2. Weld positions of specimens with observed juts
Basis for this investigation are fatigue test results from Position PA PC PG PF
[1]. The aim of that investigation was improving the Number of specimens 7 14 8 2
fatigue strengths for manual butt-welds in 4, 6 and 9 mm
thick plates. In total 418 specimens were tested: 3. Notch Stress Calculations
4 mm: 143 specimens,
6 mm: 150 specimens, For checking the influence of the detailed weld geome-
9 mm: 125 specimens. try, notch stress calculations were done. A parametric
FE-model which uses for each specimen a slightly ideal-
The summary of structural hot-spot stress calculation ized geometry based on measured data allows a specific
and following statistical evaluation of the fatigue test investigation. The 2D model uses 8-node plane strain
results are shown in Figure 1. The geometric dimensions elements and the calculation proceeds in two parts, first
of the specimens is shown in Figure 4. The force was the clamping of the specimen is simulated, subsequently
induced normal to the weld seam and the tests were the load is applied in a geometric nonlinear calculation.
performed in a resonance-type fatigue testing machine Following the recommendations of the IIW [2] the toe
with a maximum load of 200 kN (Figure 5). Tests were radii were set to 1 mm. In Figure 6 a typical model is
carried out in air at room temperature. shown. The toe radii are very fine meshed (8 elements
on the quadrant of the weld toe radius) and the maximum
principal stresses at the surface nodes were evaluated.
The calculations were carried out with ANSYS 11.0
Figure 4. Geometry of butt-weld specimens
finite element program [17].
The calculated fatigue strength for 9 mm is conservative Figure 10. Example: laser scan of the specimen shown in Figure 3
In the 31 out of 143 specimens showing juts, the depths
vary between 0.2 mm and 1.54 mm. Further FE calcula-
tions described below show, that a minimum jut depth of
0.06t mm is necessary to have an increasing influence
on the stresses at the forefront notch, resulting in remain-
ing 28 specimens to be further looked at.
Figure 13. Factor fj computed for various jut depths and plate
thicknesses
(2)