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Improving the fatigue performance of fillet weld terminations
Author(s) -
Dimitrakis S. D.,
Lawrence F. V.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
fatigue and fracture of engineering materials and structures
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.887
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1460-2695
pISSN - 8756-758X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1460-2695.2001.00418.x
Subject(s) - welding , fillet (mechanics) , residual stress , fillet weld , materials science , fatigue limit , metallurgy , structural engineering , stress concentration , composite material , engineering , fracture mechanics
A specially designed stress‐concentration‐reducing part was incorporated in the wrap‐around welds at the ends of fillet‐welded longitudinal attachments, that is, at fillet weld terminations − ubiquitous weld details having a notoriously poor fatigue resistance. The incorporation of this part at the terminations of the fillet‐welds substantially decreased the weld toe stresses in those locations where fatigue cracks customarily start, reduced weld toe residual stresses and promoted increases in the weld‐toe notch‐root radius. In the long‐life regime, the incorporation of these small, added parts increased weldment fatigue life by 300% and fatigue strength by 30%. It was found that the full benefit of the added part could only be achieved when welding processes were employed that avoided the production of cold‐lap weld‐toe defects.