Fatigue of Welds: Professor Darrell F. Socie

Fatigue of Welds
Professor Darrell F. Socie
© 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved

Weld Fatigue Problems
Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 1 of 65

More Problems

Two Similar Shapes

Fatigue Analysis
This one is difficult
This one is easy

Fatigue Analysis
Material
Data
Component Fatigue
Analysis
Geometry Life Estimate
Service
Loading

Nominal Stress
Nominal stress approaches are based on

extensive tests of welded joints and
connections. Weld joints are classified by
type , loading and shape. For example, a
transversely loaded butt weld. It is
assumed and confirmed by experiments that welds of a
similar shape have the same general fatigue behavior so
that a single design SN curve can be employed for any
weld class. The designer need only determine the nominal
stress and select a weld class. There is no need to directly
consider the stress concentration effects of the weld.

Structural Stress
Structural stress approaches are often

referred to as "hot-spot methods". The
structural stress includes the
macroscopic stress concentrating
effects of the weld detail but not the
local peak stress caused by the notch
at the weld toe. There are various methods used to
determine the structural stress. They involve
extrapolating the computed or measured stresses from
two points near the weld to a structural stress at the weld
toe. This method works in situations where there is no
clear definition of the nominal stress.

Local Stress Strain
Local stress or strain approaches

include both the macroscopic
stress concentration due to the
weld shape and the local stress
concentration at the weld toe. To
apply traditional methods of fatigue analysis to
welds, an appropriate value of the stress
concentration factor and residual stress must be
selected. Although the smallest radius produces the
largest stress concentration factor, its effect in
fatigue is smaller because of the gradient effect. As
a result there is a critical radius for fatigue that can
be used to compute the fatigue notch factor.

Crack Growth
Many weld details have planar

lack of fusion defects. This is
particularly true of fillet welds. In
this case fracture mechanics
models for crack growth are the most appropriate
fatigue technology.

Similitude
Local stresses and strains

control the fatigue life
Lifetime to about a 1mm crack
Crack initiation
Similitude (continued)
Nominal stresses and crack

Length control the fatigue life
Crack propagation

Vehicles Are Frequently Overloaded
Occasional plastic deformation → strain life analysis

Strain-Life Fatigue Analysis
Cyclic stress strain curve σ 1,1'
5,5'
σ 7,7' 3
Material
1
Data ε=
σ  σ  n'
+ ' 
ε
E K  8
2,2'
0 6
4
ε
Component Strain-life curve

Geometry
log (∆ε/2)
σ εf
∆ε σ f
'
( ) ( )
b c
= 2N f + ε 'f 2 N f
2 E
ε
Service
∆σ
0 σf/E
Loading σe/
E
∆ε p ∆ε e= ∆σ/Ε
∆ε 0
2N log (2Nf) 2Ne

Gradient Effects
Material
Data
Component
Geometry
Service
Loading
Neuber’s Rule

Analytical
Material
Data Structural Loads
Component
Geometry Experimental
Service
Loading

Crack Growth Fatigue Analysis
Material
Data
Component
Geometry
Service
Loading

Material
Data
σ(x)
Component
a a
Geometry
Service
Loading Stress distribution along crack path
in an un-cracked body

Analytical
Material
Data Structural Loads
Component
Geometry Experimental
Service
Loading

Why Are Welds Difficult to Analyze?
This one is difficult
This one is easy

Welds Have Distortions
What is the real stress at a weld toe?

Loading Conditions
How is the weld loaded ?

Many Possible Failure Locations

So Many Possibilities !

What is KT?
Tight fit-up ? Loose fit-up

KT = 3 KT = 7

What Is The Weld Shape ?

Weld Quality ?

Mean Stress ?

Material Properties ?

Summary

Summary (continued)

Fatigue Analysis of Welds
Material
Uncertain, but unimportant
Data
Component Uncertain, but very important

Geometry
Service
Uncertain, but important
Loading
How do we deal with these uncertainties?

Analyzing Welds
 Nominal Stress
 Structural or Hot Spot Stress
 Local Stress Strain
 Crack Growth

Nominal Stress Weld Classifications
D E
F2 G

BS 7608 - Steel
400
B
300 C
D
200
E
100
F
F2
G W
0
105 106 107 108
Fatigue Life, Cycles

IIW Classification
∆σ m N = C
=C (FAT) m 2 ×106
m=3
( 1 ) (− 1 )
∆σ = C m N m
( 1m)
 2 ×10  6
∆σ = FAT  
 N 

Japan Society of Steel Construction

Crack Growth Data
σyield
252
Ferritic-Pearlitic Steel:
10-6
( )
273
392 da 3 .0
415
= 6.9 × 10 −12 ∆K MPa m
Crack Growth Rate, m/cycle
dN
Martensitic Steel:
10-7 da
dN
= 1.4 × 10 −10 ∆K MPa m ( ) 2.25
Austenitic Stainless Steel:
10-8
da
dN
= 5.6 × 10 −12 ∆K MPa m ( ) 3.25
5 10 100
∆K, MPa√m
Barsom, “Fatigue Crack Propagation in Steels of Various Yield Strengths”

Journal of Engineering for Industry, Trans. ASME, Series B, Vol. 93, No. 4, 1971, 1190-1196
Nominal Stress - Aluminum
125
100
B
75 C
50
D
25 E
F
0
105 106 107 108
Sharp, “Behavior and Design of Aluminum Structures”,McGraw-Hill, 1992

Crack Growth Data
10-2
Crack Growth Rate m/cycle
Steel welds are 3 times

10-4 2024-T3 m/cycle stronger than aluminum
10-6 3
3X
10-8 1
A533B m/cycle
10-10
10-12
1 10 100
Cyclic Stress Intensity, MPa√m

Residual Stress from Welding

Weld Distortion

Weld Toe Residual Stress
σ
∆ε ∆ε
Yield
stress
Maximum stress at the weld toe

is nearly the same for any cycle

Mean Stress Effects
 As welded structures usually have the

maximum possible mean stress
 Stress relief, peening, etc. will have a
substantial effect on the fatigue life

Butt and Fillet Weld Test Data
1000
The good welds
Stress Range, MPa
100
99% survival with 95% confidence

10
Failures Run outs
103 104 105 106 107


Weld Terminations
1000 The bad welds
Stress Range, MPa
100
10
99% survival with 95% confidence

Failures Run outs
103 104 105 106 107


Sources of Inherent Scatter
 Weld quality
 Mean, fabrication and residual stresses
 Stress concentrations (geometry)
 Weldment size
 Material properties
Opportunities for Improvement !

The Good and Bad
Good weld design
Local stress concentration from weld toe
Poor weld design
Macroscopic stress concentration from a geometry change

Nominal Stress ?
Solution: use structural stress approach

Typical Butt Weld

Weld Toe
Microcracks form during welding process

Cold Lap

All Welds Contain Microcracks
100
da
= C ∆K m 400
dN B
∆K, MPa√m
300 C
m~3 m~3
10 D
200
E
100
F F2 G W
0
105 106 107 108
1
10-6 10-7 10-8 10-9 10-10 10-11 10-12
Crack Growth Rate, m/cycle
Same slope means same mechanism, crack growth

Fracture Mechanics Modeling
Driving force is crack depth, a, not length, c

Stress Intensity Solution
af
da
N=
ao
∫ C ( ∆K ) m
∆K
= K max − K min
=
K max K applied + K residual

Size Effects

Weld Improvement
 Reduce stresses
 Residual
 Distorsion
 fabrication
 Reduce KT
 Weld toe
 Macroscopic Shape
 Weld starts and stops

Gradual Change in Stiffness

Weld Terminations

Stress Diffuser

Stress Diffuser Improvement

Shape

Improvement Strategies

TWI Suggestions

Experimental Results

Things Worth Remembering
 Local weld toe stresses, geometry and flaws
control the life of weldments
 There are many ways to improve the fatigue
strength of welded structures.

Fatigue of Welds

Fatigue of Welds: Professor Darrell F. Socie

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Fatigue of Welds

Professor Darrell F. Socie

© 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 1 of 65

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 2 of 65

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 3 of 65

This one is difficult

This one is easy

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 4 of 65

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 5 of 65

Nominal stress approaches are based on

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 6 of 65

Structural stress approaches are often

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 7 of 65

Local stress or strain approaches

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 8 of 65

Many weld details have planar

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 9 of 65

Local stresses and strains

Lifetime to about a 1mm crack

Nominal stresses and crack

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 11 of 65

Occasional plastic deformation → strain life analysis

Component Strain-life curve

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 13 of 65

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 14 of 65

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 15 of 65

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 16 of 65

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 17 of 65

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 18 of 65

This one is difficult

This one is easy

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 19 of 65

What is the real stress at a weld toe?

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 20 of 65

How is the weld loaded ?

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 21 of 65

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 22 of 65

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 23 of 65

Tight fit-up ? Loose fit-up

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 24 of 65

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 25 of 65

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Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 29 of 65

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 30 of 65

Component Uncertain, but very important

How do we deal with these uncertainties?

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Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 36 of 65

Austenitic Stainless Steel:

Barsom, “Fatigue Crack Propagation in Steels of Various Yield Strengths”

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 38 of 65

Steel welds are 3 times

Fatigue of Welds © 2010-2014 Darrell Socie, All Rights Reserved 39 of 65

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Maximum stress at the weld toe