Welded Connections

Welding is the process of joining metal parts by fusing them and filling in with molten metal from the electrode.
The method is used extensively to join parts and members, attach cleats, stiffeners, end plates, etc. and to fabricate
complete elements such as plate girders.

Welding produces neat, strong and more efficient joints than are possible with bolting. However, it should be
carried out under close supervision, and this is possible in the fabrication shop. Site joints are usually bolted.
Though site welding can be done, it is costly, and defects are more likely to occur. Electric arc welding is the
main system used, and the two main processes in structural steel welding are:

1. Manual arc welding, using a handheld electrode coated with a flux that melts and protects the molten
metal. The weld quality depends very much on the skill of the welder.
2. Automatic arc welding. A continuous wire electrode is fed to the weld pool. The wire may be coated
with flux or the flux can be supplied from a hopper.

During the process, which is shown above, the coated electrode is consumed, the wire becomes the filler material
and the coating is converted partly into a shielding gas, partly into slag, and some part is absorbed by the weld
metal.

Generally the electrode is stronger than the parent metal. The main reason for the flux covering to the electrode
in the manual metal arc welding process is to provide an inert gas which shields the molten metal from
atmospheric contamination.
Welding consumables
- In accordance with Eurocode 3, Part 1-8, the design strength of a weld depends on the steel grade of the
parent metal and the class of electrodes (welding consumables) used.

- The specified yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, elongation at failure of the filler metal, should be
equivalent to, or better than that specified for the parent material (base metal).

- It is generally assumed that the properties of the weld metal will be at least the equivalent in terms of
strength, ductility and toughness to those of the parent material. Normally it is safe to use electrodes that
are overmatched with regard to the steel grades used.

- Covered electrodes is one type of several types of welding consumables (Shielded arc filler wires, lengths
or rolls, Shielding gases, Separately supplied flux, Fusible inserts).

- Each consumable is critical in respect to Size, Classification / Supplier, Condition Handling and storage,
Treatments e.g. baking / drying.

European Electrode Classification System

Based on EN ISO 2560 (EN 499)

E 42 0 RR 1 2

E covered electrode
The Yield strength. For electrodes suitable for multi-run welding, symbol” 35, 38, 42, 46,
42 50” is used to indicated a minium yield strength of 355 N/mm2, 380 N/mm2, 420 N/mm2, 460
N/mm2, or 500 N/mm2, respectively.

0 Symbol for impact properties of allweld metal (Z, A, 0, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

Symbol for type of electrode covering
A- Acid covering, C – cellulosic cobering, R- rutile covering, RR- rutile thick covering, RC
RR – rutile-cellulosic covering, RA-rutile-acid covering, RB- rutile-basic covering,
B- basic covering

1 Symbol for nominal electrode efficiency and type of current

 Symbol for welding position

Table 6A — Symbol for welding position

Welding Positions

Electrode type based on AWS (American Welding Society)

For example: E 6013

E 60 - 60 ksi ( appro 420 MPa)
1- welding position
3 - the coating, penetration, and current type used, (3-Rutile, Potassium Light AC, DCEP, DCEN)
Types of welds
The two main types of welds as shown below:

- Butt welding,
- Fillet welding and fillet welds all round.
- plug welds
Butt welds may be considered as strong as the parent plate as long as full penetration for the weld is achieved.
For thin plates, penetration is achieved without preparing the plate, but on thicker plates V or double J
preparation is required. Butt welds are also used to connect plates at right angles but the plates require edge
preparation.
Fillet welds are generally formed with equal leg lengths. They do not require special edge preparation of the
plates and are therefore cheaper than butt welds. In order to accommodate lack of fit the minimum leg length
of fillet weld in structural engineering is 5 mm although 6 mm is often preferred. The maximum size of fillet
weld from a single run metal arc process is 8 mm, but 6 mm is preferred to guarantee quality. When larger fillet
welds are required they are formed from multiple runs.

Fillet Welding
1- Geometry and dimensions
1- Fillet welds may be used for connecting parts where the fusion faces form an angle of between 60°
and 120°. Angles smaller than 60° are also permitted. However, in such cases the weld should be
considered to be a partial penetration butt weld. For angles greater than 120° the resistance of fillet
welds should be determined by testing.
2- Fillet welds finishing at the ends or sides of parts should be returned continuously, full size, around
the corner for a distance of at least twice the leg length of the weld, unless access or the configuration
of the joint renders this impracticable.

3- Design resistance of a fillet weld

Length of welds (l):

The effective length of a fillet weld ( l ) should be taken as the length over which the fillet is full-size. This
maybe taken as the overall length of the weld reduced by twice the effective throat thickness a. Provided that
the weld is full size throughout its length including starts and terminations, no reduction in effective length need
be made for either the start or the termination of the weld.

A fillet weld with an effective length less than 30 mm or less than 6 times its throat thickness whichever is
larger, should not be designed to carry load.

Size of fillet welds

The size of a fillet weld, denoted by the letter s, is the length of the leg for a plain fillet weld on the fusion
surface of the parent metal.

Effective throat thickness (a):

The effective throat thickness, a, of a fillet weld should be taken as the height of the largest triangle (with equal
or unequal legs) that can be inscribed within the fusion faces and the weld surface, measured perpendicular to
the outer side of this triangle, see Figure 4.3.

The effective throat thickness of a fillet weld should not be less than 3 mm. ( a = 0.7× s).

Figure 4.3 (EN1993-1-8)

Design Resistance of fillet welds

The design resistance of a fillet weld should be determined using either the Directional method given in Part 1-
8 cl 4.5.3.2 or the Simplified method given in Part 1-8 cl 4.5.3.3.

1- The Directional method, in which the forces transmitted by a unit length of weld are resolved into
parallel and perpendicular components.
2- The Simplified method, in which only longitudinal shear is considered.

The design resistance of a fillet weld may be assumed to be adequate if, at every point along its length, the
resultant of all the forces per unit length transmitted by the weld satisfy the following criterion (see Eurocode 3,
Part 1-8):
 𝑭𝒘,𝑹𝒅 = 𝒇𝒗𝒘,𝒅 𝒂
Where 𝒇𝒗𝒘,𝒅 is the design shear strength of the weld
a is the throat thickness

The design shear strength 𝒇𝒗𝒘,𝒅 of the weld should be determined from

𝑓𝑢 ⁄√3
𝑓𝑣𝑤,𝑑 =
𝛽𝑤 𝛾𝑀2

Where fu is the nominal ultimate tensile strength of the weaker part joined

w is the appropriate correlation factor taken from Table 4.1.

Long joints

lap joints the design resistance of a fillet weld should be reduced by multiplying it by a reduction factor Lw,1 to
allow for the effects of non-uniform distribution of stress along its length.

For joints longer than 150 times the throat thickness (a), the reduction factor (Eq. (4.9), EN 1993-1-8 (2005)) is