STRUCTURAL

REPRESENTATION OF
WELDED JOINTS
 STRUCTURAL REPRESENTATION OF WELDS

• When performing a structural analysis of a welded

component, it is important to evaluate how the welds are
going to be represented.
– The physical interaction of the weld with the main components may
affect the general behavior of the assembly.

• This evaluation is necessary even if a previous thermal study

of the welding process is not performed.

• This chapter presents some considerations for the structural

representation of welds.
 STRUCTURAL REPRESENTATION OF WELDS

• In general, most engineering components and structures

have many weld beads.

• On the other hand, including all these welds will have a

strong negative effect over the solution.
– More complicated geometry creation;
– Big increase on the number of contact pairs;
– Very difficult to mesh;
– In general, overall solution times will be much higher.

• For an appropriate FE modeling, it is important to evaluate

how welds should be represented or simplified.
 STRUCTURAL REPRESENTATION OF WELDS

• There are two main approaches for structural representation

of welds:
– The simplified approach removes the weld geometry, and component’s
joint is performed by a Bonded contact
– The detailed approach includes the weld geometry. Bonded contacts
are created between the welds and the joined parts, and additional
contacts may be created between these parts.

Simplified Approach Detailed Approach

 CONTACT DEFINITION

• According to chosen modeling approach, certain contact

types must be used for components interaction.
• It is important to use the proper contact types, representing
the actual structural behavior of the joint.
– Wrong contact definition can affect significantly the way that the
structure responds to loading conditions.

Weld to Part contact

Part to Part contact

 CONTACT DEFINITION

• For example, consider the following T-joint with fillet welds.

– Interaction occurs only on the welds.
– For this loading condition, there’s no contact stress directly between
the plates.
– Bonded contact is not recommended there; a nonlinear contact that
allows separation should be used.
 CONTACT DEFINITION

• The same geometry, but with full-penetration fillet welds.

– Interaction occurs in the whole section.

– For this loading condition, the assembly model can be replaced by a

single part, with chamfers between the plates.
 CONTACT DEFINITION

• In Chapter 4, contact behavior for thermal analysis was

presented.
– Contact defines heat flow along interface.
• For a structural analysis, contact defines separation and
sliding behavior of interfaces.
– Some of them are nonlinear, requiring more that 1 equilibrium iteration
for solving.

Contact Type Separation Sliding Nonlinear?

Bonded   
No Separation  ✓ 
Rough ✓  ✓
Frictionless ✓ ✓ ✓
Frictional ✓ ✓ ✓
 CONTACT DEFINITION

• Pinball radius have different influence on initial status,

according to contact type.
– Interaction only occurs on Closed status.
– On Near Open status, contact proximity is evaluated in detail (gap is
controlled); on Far Open, contact evaluation is simplified (gap is
ignored).
– Observe that linear contacts (Bonded and No Separation) can’t be
defined if gap is larger than pinball radius.

Inside Outside
Contact Type Touching
Pinball Pinball
Bonded Closed Closed Far Open
No Separation Closed Closed Far Open
Rough Closed Near Open Far Open
Frictionless Closed Near Open Far Open
Frictional Closed Near Open Far Open
 CONTACT GUIDELINES

• It is always recommended to insert a Contact Tool to evaluate

initial status.
 CONTACT GUIDELINES

• Regarding contact formulations:

– For linear contacts, MPC provides good connectivity for touching
surfaces.
– For nonlinear contacts, Augmented Lagrange is recommended for its
robustness.
 CONTACT GUIDELINES

• Usually one of the most critical contact problems is related to

contact status changes.

• Closed > Open

– Parts can present rigid body motion.
– Boundary conditions and contact pairs must be checked to avoid this.

• Open > Close

– If contact is too rigid, solution can present convergence difficulties.
– Initial contact stiffness can be reduced, and updated at each
equilibrium iteration.
 WELD TO PART CONTACT

• Contact between weld beads and components is defined as

bonded.
– After material melting and solidification, a continuous joint is expected
between them.
• MPC formulation is recommended.
• Multi-body part modeling can also be used, for shared
meshes.
 PART TO PART CONTACT

• Contact between joined components has big influence over

global behavior of the joint.

• Some characteristics must be evaluated to specify correct

contact type:
– Weld penetration
– Parts interaction before welding
– Loading conditions
 PART TO PART CONTACT

• Bonded contact should be used only in situations with full

penetration welds.

OK to use Bonded This region shouldn’t be bonded!

 PART TO PART CONTACT

• According to the initial interaction between parts and loading

conditions, contact type can be defined.
• Some details that have to be verified in the welded joint, for
contact definition:
– Are the components’ faces touching each other?
– Is there any gap between the parts?
– What is the expected deformation that the joint will present when
loaded?
– Are there any gaps that may be closed when joint is loaded?

• Depending on the initial conditions and loading directions,

contact may even be ignored.
 PART TO PART CONTACT

• Considering a fillet weld, with the top end fixed and touching
faces.

Faces interact and no separation Touching faces may separate,

is expected. this behavior must be allowed to
the contact.

Any contact could be used, A nonlinear contact should be

observing if sliding may occur. used.
 PART TO PART CONTACT

• Considering a fillet weld, with the top end fixed and a gap
between faces.

Faces may contact each other, Faces move apart, and no

depending on load magnitude. contact is expected.

A nonlinear contact should be Contact definition is not

used. necessary.
 STRUCTURAL MESHING

• While thermal studies allow a coarser mesh definition,

structural analyses usually require more attention.
– 2nd order are recommended for better evaluation of deformation.
– Aggressive Mechanical shape checking should be used to assure
good element quality, specially for nonlinear models.
– Sizing controls can be used on regions of interest.
 DEFAULT STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS

SOLID187
SOLID185

SOLID186

PLANE182

PLANE183

SHELL181 SHELL281

BEAM188
BEAM189
SOLSH190
 ANALYSIS SETTINGS

• If nonlinear behavior is present (very common on welding

simulations), some special settings should be done.
– Use Direct solver, which is more robust to deal with nonlinearities
(Iterative solver may not converge in these situations);
– Large deflection can be turned on, for more precise results, specially if
elevated distortions are expected.
– Line Search, a convergence enhancement tool, is suggested on
challenging models.
 SINGULARITIES

• Independent of the weld modeling approach, one of the most

challenging issues is related to singularities.

• In general, results’ precision is directly related to mesh

density.
– More refined meshes usually give more precise results
– DOF results (like temperatures and displacements) converge faster
than derived results (such as heat fluxes and stresses)

• However, in some cases results may diverge as mesh is

refined.
– This happens in a singularity.
 SINGULARITIES

• Consider the following simple model.

– As the mesh is refined, maximum stress converges to the result.

Stress value
converges

Model Element Size (mm) Nodes Elements Max. Displacement (mm) Displacement Variation von Mises Stress (MPa) Stress Variation Time (s)
1 10 995 120 4.3406E-02 - 155.04 - 2
2 8 1415 175 4.3414E-02 0.02% 169.98 9.64% 2
3 6 2476 318 4.3418E-02 0.01% 173.19 1.89% 2
4 4 5188 689 4.3421E-02 0.01% 168.69 -2.60% 3
5 2 30923 5410 4.3421E-02 0.00% 171.76 1.82% 10
6 1 164732 32304 4.3421E-02 0.00% 172.04 0.16% 31
 SINGULARITIES

• Now, consider other simple geometry.

– As the mesh is refined, maximum stress tends to infinity.

 

Stress value
diverges

Model Element Size (mm) Nodes Elements Max. Displacement (mm) Displacement Variation von Mises Stress (MPa) Stress Variation Time (s)
1 5 518 60 0.86149 - 246.07 - 2
2 2.5 2949 480 0.87696 1.80% 250.46 1.78% 2
3 1.25 19313 3840 0.88128 0.49% 290.22 15.87% 4
4 1 36126 7500 0.88203 0.09% 326.94 12.65% 6
5 0.8 76400 16625 0.88291 0.10% 368.13 12.60% 14
6 0.625 138369 30720 0.88310 0.02% 414.52 12.60% 26
7 0.5 264101 60000 0.88345 0.04% 462.01 11.46% 57
8 0.25 2015601 480000 0.88411 0.07% 640.91 38.72% 673
 SINGULARITIES

• Singularities are responsible for artificially high stresses, and

they are commonly caused by model idealization.
– Geometry simplification and sharp corners
– Localized forces and boundary conditions

• Sharp corners and abrupt geometric transitions are usually

found in welded components.
 HOW TO DEAL WITH SINGULARITIES?

• If singularities are in regions that are not of interest, they can

be simply ignored from post-processing.

max = 250.46 MPa max = 326.94 MPa max = 640.91 MPa

max = 230.68 MPa max = 231.65 MPa max = 231.6 MPa

 HOW TO DEAL WITH SINGULARITIES?

• However, if singularities exist in regions of interest, some

other corrective actions should be taken.
• This will be very common in welded components, since the
weld bead region is very susceptible to failure (specially due
to fatigue).
• One typical solution is to increase the geometric detail of the
region, making it closer to reality.
 HOW TO DEAL WITH SINGULARITIES?

• Even with the geometric representation of the weld geometry,

singularities may exist at the transitions to the components.

• There are several approaches to deal with these weld

singularities, some of them based on particular standards.

Nominal Stress Structural Hot Spot R1MS Notch Stress

 NOMINAL STRESS

• Nominal stress approach is a simplified way to estimate

stress levels at welds.
• All stress concentration effects due to geometric details are
ignored.
• Although this is a simple process, it can lead to too
conservative results.
• Also, in real-world components it may be difficult to identify
the nominal stress.
– Complex geometries
– Complex loading conditions

HALÁSZI, C. et al.; Fatigue Analysis of Welding Seams in

Automotive Structures 2006
 STRUCTURAL HOT SPOT

• For this approach, stress at the geometric singularity is

extrapolated from stresses obtained at reference points.
• The reference points’ position is usually standard-based.
– DNV-RP-203C defines references at 0.5t and 1.5t.
– IIW Recommendations define 0.4t and 1.0t for fine meshes, and 0.8
and 1.5t for coarse meshes

Thinking on fatigue, there are

specific SN curves that are used,
according to the characteristics of
the joint

Recommended Practice DNV-RP-C203, 2008

 STRUCTURAL HOT SPOT

• With the two known points, it is possible to get the line

equation.

• Considering the form Y = AX + B and two known points

(x1,y1) and (x2,y2)…
y1 − y 2
A=
x1 − x 2
B = y 2 − A  x2

• Based on the equation, stress can be extrapolated to the weld

toe.
 STRUCTURAL HOT SPOT

• There are some considerations for the hot spot stress

calculation.
– It can be also used for shell elements.
– For 3D models, it is recommended to model the weld’s geometry, to
provide proper local stiffness.
– Usually linear material behavior must be used (according to chosen
standard).
– Limited to stress assesment at the weld toe, but can be extended for
fillets as well.
 STRUCTURAL HOT SPOT

• Example: consider the a fillet weld, with 6 mm plate thickness.

1.5 t

0.5 t

Stress at 0.5 t (3 mm) = 106.71 MPa

Stress ar 1.5 t (9 mm) = 83.286 MPa
 STRUCTURAL HOT SPOT

• Considering that the origin is located at the weld root.

Stress

Position Stress (MPa)

5 153.558

8 106.710

14 83.286

5 8 14
(0.5 t) (1.5 t) Stress at the weld toe:

FE result : 226,05 MPa

Hot Spot Stress: 153,56 MPa
 R1MS NOTCH STRESS

• The R1MS approach includes a more detailed representation

of the weld bead.
• The real weld is representes by an effective one, as shown
below.
– A notch root radius of 1.0 mm is used, providing good results for
structural steels.

Recommended Practice DNV-RP-C203, 2008

 R1MS NOTCH STRESS

• This methodology allows the direct reading of a stress value

at the weld toe from the FE analysis.
• It is highly applicable to fatigue analysis.
– Specific notch stress S-N curves must be used.

SCHOENBORN, K.D.; Fatigue Analysys of a Welded Assembly Using

ANSYS Workbench Envirronment, 2006
 R1MS NOTCH STRESS

• Some considerations for the R1MS notch stress modeling:

– This approach is valid with linear material properties;
– Usually this method is designed for thicknesses equal or larger than
5mm.
– For thin wall sheets, the definition of a notch radius of 0.05 mm shows
relatively good results.
– Restricted for evaluation of welded joints that are expected to fail at
the weld toe or weld root.
– Not recommended for situations with elevated stresses parallel to the
weld.
– It is important to include good mesh refinement at the notch radius.
– Some standards require regular shape elements at the notch radius,
with uniform sizing along
 R1MS NOTCH STRESS

• Example: considering the same fillet weld previously shown.

– A 1 mm radius is included, with refined elements.
R1MS NOTCH STRESS
 R1MS NOTCH STRESS

• Some standards may require quad/hexa elements at the

notch stress.
 SUBMODELING

• In large structures, weld beads are relatively much smaller

that global dimensions.

• Geometric representation of these weld beads will lead to

much longer simulation times.
– Due to their small relative dimensions, a small element size is needed,
thus a larger mesh is obtained.

• An efficient approach is provided by the submodeling feature.

– A global mesh, without the welds, is solved.
– Local analyses are executed on critical regions, including the weld’s
geometry.
SUBMODELING
 SUBMODELING

Beam-to-solid and beam-to-shell submodels are also available.

 SUBMODELING

• Some special considerations must be observed:

– Submodeling is valid only if cut boundaries are far away from the
singularities;
– Relative position regarding the global coordinate system must be the
same for global and local models;
– In nonlinear models, special caution must be taken.
 NONLINEAR SUBMODELING

• It is important to identify if the nonlinear analysis is path-

dependent or path-independent.

• In path-independent simulations, mechanical energy is

conserved, and model behavior doesn’t depend on the load
history.

• In path-dependent simulations, system is non-conservative,

and loading history is important.
– Plasticity and frictional contact are some examples of features that are
responsible for energy loss.
 NONLINEAR SUBMODELING

• This nonlinear behavior is important because DOFs are

linearly ramped at the cut-boundary of the submodel, which
may cause some inaccuracies on the energy loss on path-
dependent simulations.
– It is recommended to evaluate results’ error on the submodel using the
same element size (see next slide).

Sheldon’s ANSYS Tips and Tricks: Nonlinear Submodeling; www.ansys.net

 NONLINEAR SUBMODELING
Path-Independent Global Model Path-Independent Submodel
Smax = 0.319004 Smax = 0.31899

Path-Dependent Global Model Path-Dependent Submodel

Smax = 0.190353 Smax = 0.174782

Sheldon’s ANSYS Tips and Tricks: Nonlinear Submodeling; www.ansys.net

 SUBMODELING – SUBMODEL ANALYSIS

The submodel schematic is set up as shown here:

Since the full model and submodel are comprised of different geometries, we
typically don’t drag and drop a new structural system onto the existing one, as
this would link the geometries. Instead, we create a new stand-alone system,
drag the full model solution cell onto the submodel’s setup cell, and then create
or import the desired submodel geometry.
 SUBMODELING – SUBMODEL ANALYSIS

After opening the new (submodel) analysis

system in Mechanical, we see a new
“Submodeling” branch has automatically
been inserted into the tree. If we RMB on
this branch we can choose the type of
result to import (displacement, in this
example).
In the details of the imported load, we
scope the cut boundaries of the submodel.
Note: There are numerous mapping
options available when transferring loads,
not all of which apply to submodeling. For
a complete discussion, see the following
reference in ANSYS Help: ANSYS
Documentation > Workbench > User’s
Guide > ANSYS Workbench Systems >
Component Systems > External Data.
 SUBMODELING – SUBMODEL ANALYSIS

RMB to import the DOF constraints

from the full model. When completed,
the import can be reviewed
graphically.

Add any additional loads and/or

boundary conditions to the submodel
that are necessary to match those
applied to the full model and solve.
 SUBMODELING – GLOBAL MODEL ANALYSIS

• Global model results.

The APDL macro copies the DB and RST files to the

root folder. They will be used in the submodel

Critical Region!
 SUBMODELING – SUBMODEL ANALYSIS

• Relative position to the global origin MUST BE THE SAME!

– A good approach is to modify the geometry copied from the global
model, applying cuts to represent the desired submodel.
 SUBMODELING – SUBMODEL ANALYSIS

• It is important to redefine any boundary conditions that are

applied over the submodel geometry.
– Special caution must be taken with non-specific loads (ex.: force
values must be defined proportionally to the remaining surface area).
– Specific loads (like pressure) can be applied normally.
 SUBMODELING – RESULTS COMPARISON

• The same element size is used, for submodeling validation.

 SUBMODELING – RESULTS COMPARISON

• Once submodel is validated, a more detailed analysis can be

done.
– Include geometric details
– Refine mesh
SUBMODELING – RESULTS COMPARISON