Jgett's Basics
“(lll'i ifll'flfli ill 33“ “WIN?"
By OMER W. BLODGETT, ScD., P.E.
n our fast-paced world, engineers may
“find the answer” and solve a problem
without ever asking the question “Why?”
This is too bad, because the correct answer
will often yield an understanding of underly—
ing principles.
This month, we’ll look back on some old
data, apply the “why” question, and in doing
so, we’ll learn something about the behavior
of weldments in fatigue.
Back in the days when girders for bridges
typically were riveted, it was common to
take a rolled shape and add coverplates in the
center of the span length where the bending
moment was greatest—see Figure 1.
As welding gained acceptance, designers
began to specify welded coverplates instead.
When such girders were put into service, fa—
tigue cracks sometimes occurred in the rolled
beam, at the ends of the longitudinal welds or
at the toe of the transverse weld toe, near the
end of the coverplate.
We now know this configuration as a Cate-
gory E or E’ fatigue detail, and we understand
that the stress range capability of such details
is limited.
Today, most designers will select a thicker
or wider flange in the areas of high moment,
and use a welded butt splice with a 2.521
transition. When the weld is ground flush
and inspected with radiographic or ultra-
sonic inspection, the configuration improves
to a Category B detail.
While welded coverplates are not a com-
mon bridge detail today, many manufacturers
of agricultural and earthmoving equipment
use coverplate-like devices that increase the
capacity of the member in a localized area.
The ends of such reinforcements behave simi—
larly to the ends of coverplates.
The heavy equipment industry uses a vari—
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ety of transitional profiles to enhance fatigue
behavior.
At the University of Illinois in the early
1960s, Munse and Stallmeyer evaluated six
different end plate details. A summary of their
data is presented in Table 1.
Stress ranges were reported for both
100,000 cycles and 2,000,000 cycles. A
higher value meant that the configuration
had greater capacity.
In fatigue, particularly of welded assem-
blies, there is always variation in the results.
Theoretically, what behaves best at 100,000
cycles should also behave best at 2,000,000
cycles. For this data set, specimen 5 had the
best behavior at 100,000 cycles, and spec—
imen 3 had the best behavior at 2,000,000
cycles. Despite these anomalies, we still can
observe trends.
Each specimen contained two welds that
were generally longitudinal to the beam’s axis,
and some contained a weld that was generally
in the transverse direction. Table 1 uses blue
and yellow to illustrate the weld’s orientation.
The specimens with only longitudinal welds
(specimens “3' and 4) by and large performed
better than those with transverse welds.
Some of the specimens had square—cut ends
(specimens 1 and 4) whereas the others had
some type of transition. Specimens that used
a transition end (specimens 2-3, 5-6) did bet-
ter than those without a transition. Specimen
3 with a “concave” transition had the best
2,000,000 cycle performance of the six, even
though it had a transverse weld.
At this point. it is worthwhile to ask some
“why” questions.
Why is the transition helpful?
Table 1 includes a sketch of the sec-
tion properties of the cross section (shown
August 2008
 ROLLED SECTION

COVE RPLATE

Figure 1

Table1 1 2

Specimen
ii
Section
Properties
Slit? Slit?
Stresses

Stress Range
at 100,000 26.5 . N 34.7 37.8 29.4 _
Cycles (ksi)
Stress Range
vii-‘1; 1W2; tgti HS" 51142;;
at 2,000,000 11 .3 12.1 13.4 11.6
Cycles (ksi) '

in green), along with the resultant stresses, This“reduces,the stress concentration created
(shown in orange). The stress plot assumes by the square cut cgoverplate (specimens 1
a constant moment, a reasonable assumption and 4). .
for the region of the beam in the immediate.
area of the coverplate termination. Why do the specimens behave
Since stresses “flow” though members, the ‘ better when there is no
actual stresses in the vicinity of the weld are transverse weld?
more complicated than the diagrams imply, To ansWer this question, we must remem-
but the plots are useful nevertheless. ber that the center of the beam is more re-
These plots explain the effect of the transi— strained. and therefore less ductile. The edges
tion: The change in section properties is more are more likely to experience a uniaxial stress
gradual, permitting a more even flow of stress state, where biaxial stresses are expected in
through the member where the coverplate the center due to transverse constraint.
terminates (see the orange plots in Table l). Multiaxial stresses inhibit the ductility

August 2008 www.weldingmag.com

Blodgett's Basics

n
Because we asked “Why?" we now understand
why the inverted taper wnrlts.

Specimen

Section
Properties

Stresses

Figure 2

of the material. a region of reduced stress. The center of the

A transverse weld requires the placement of beam still has reduced ductility, but due to the
a portion of that weld in the more restrained reduced stress, the weld placed in this area
center of the beam. When the weld is left off that is less critical.
at this location (i.e., when there are only lon— Figure 2 represents what might be the best
gitudinal welds) performance is consistently configuration, even though this was not tested:
enhanced, as can be seen in the behavior of A long, inverted taper.
specimens 4 and 5. The critical portion of the transverse weld,
the portion in the center of the beam flange, is
Why is the performance of in an area of low stress. This detail, of course,
specimen 3 at 2,000,000 cycles is what is often applied to construction and
better than all the others? agricultural equipment where extra plates are
The arrows in Table 1 will help us answer added to strengthen a member.
this question. Notice that the ends of the lon— Because we asked “Why?” we now under-
gitudinal weld, and the transverse welds (if stand why the inverted taper works.
present) for all the
specimens are lo—
cated in regions of . Sc'.D.. RE. senior design eon-
.
hlgh stress — that snltant with The Lincoln Electric Co., struck hisfirst
is, in every case but are on his grandfather’s welder at the age often. He
specimen 3. is the author of Design of Welded Structures and De-
\Nith the “concave” sign, ofWeldments. and on iizternationully recognized
expert in thefield ofweld design. In 1999. Blodgett
configuration. the was named one ofthe ”Top 125 People oft/1e Post [25
transverse weld. in Years " by Engineering News Record. Blodgett may he
the region of reduced reached at (216) 383—2225.
ductility, is placed in
i
l
4

www.weldingmag.com August 2008