Assessment of welded structures by a local multiaxial fatigue approach

• Published in: Fatigue & fracture of engineering materials & structures Vol. 24; no. 5; pp. 369 - 376
• Main Authors: Van Dang, K., Bignonnet, A., Fayard, J. L., Janosch, J. J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01.05.2001; Blackwell Science; Wiley-Blackwell
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Engineering Sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Fatigue; fatigue of welded structures; Mechanical properties and methods of testing. Rheology. Fracture mechanics. Tribology; Mechanics; Metals. Metallurgy; multiaxial computing methods; Mechanical properties; Local structure; Fatigue; Welding; Welded joint; Multiaxial load; fatigue of welded structures; multiaxial computing methods
• ISSN: 8756-758X; 1460-2695
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1460-2695.2001.00399.x

A new local multiaxial computing method for the fatigue assessment of welded structures is presented. This approach is based on the use of an equivalent stress derived from the multiaxial fatigue criterion proposed by Dang Van for plain machined specimens. Application to fillet welds allows a better description of the influence of local geometries and residual stress states. These factors are related to the weld process and the quality of the weld. This approach, associated with definite shell finite element meshing rules in order to take account of the increase of local rigidity introduced by the weld, is also successfully used to assess the fatigue resistance of welded automotive structures.