Open AccessInherent possibilities and limitations of finite element modelling of defective girth welds
Author(s) -
Stijn Hertelé,
Wim De Waele,
Rudi Denys,
Matthias Verstraete
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
sustainable construction and design
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2295-9092
pISSN - 2032-7471
DOI - 10.21825/scad.v1i1.20411
Subject(s) - finite element method , welding , computer science , set (abstract data type) , structural engineering , reliability engineering , mechanical engineering , engineering , programming language
Welds unavoidably show defects, which can negatively affect the integrity of the entire structureand, worst case, result in a failure. Defects of a considerable size should therefore be detected, assessedand, if necessary, repaired. The assessment of a defect requires a procedure which allows a conservativeestimation of the acceptability of the defect. To develop such procedure, both experimental and numericalresearch is performed. This paper describes the inherent possibilities and limitations of numerical researchthrough finite element modelling, as compared to experimental research. Summarizing all arguments, itbecomes clear that numerical research is a highly powerful tool, but a thorough experimental validation is ofparamount importance. Moreover, some specific weld-related problems are highly difficult to address,namely the presence of stable crack growth and material heterogeneity. More research is needed toachieve a description of these phenomena, under a set of conservative assumptions.