A novel approachfor assessing the fatigue strength of ultrasonic impact treated welded structures.

It is commonly observed that complex fabricated structures subject tofatigue loading fail at the welded joints. Some problems can be corrected by proper detail design but fatigue performance can also be improved using post-weld improvement methods. In general, improvement methods can be divided into two main groups: weld geometry modification methods and residual stress modification methods. The former remove weld toe defects and/or reduce the stress concentrationwhile the latter introduce compressive stress fields in the area where fatigue cracks are likely to initiate. Ultrasonic impact treatment (UIT) is a novel post-weld treatment method that influences both the residual stress distribution andimproves the local geometry of the weld. The structural fatigue strength of non-load carrying attachments in the as-welded condition has been experimentally compared to the structural fatigue strength of ultrasonic impact treated welds. Longitudinal attachment specimens made of two thicknesses of steel S355 J0 have been tested for determining the efficiency of ultrasonic impacttreatment. Treated welds were found to have about 50% greater structural fatigue strength, when the slope of the S-N-curve is three. High mean stress fatigue testing based on the Ohta-method decreased the degree of weld improvement only 19%. This indicated that the method could be also applied for large fabricated structures operating under high reactive residual stresses equilibrated within the volume of the structure. The thickness of specimens has no significant effect tothe structural fatigue strength. The fatigue class difference between 5 mm and 8 mm specimen was only 8%. It was hypothesized that the UIT method added a significant crack initiation period to the total fatigue life of the welded joints. Crack initiation life was estimated by a local strain approach. Material parameters were defined using a modified Uniform Material Law developed in Germany. Finite element analysis and X-ray diffraction were used to define, respectively, the stress concentration and mean stress. The theoretical fatigue life was found to have good accuracy comparing to experimental fatigue tests.The predictive behaviour of the local strain approach combined with the uniformmaterial law was excellent for the joint types and conditions studied in this work.

A modified structural stress method for fatigue assessment of welded structures

Fatigue life assessment of weldedstructures is commonly based on the nominal stress method, but more flexible and accurate methods have been introduced. In general, the assessment accuracy is improved as more localized information about the weld is incorporated. The structural hot spot stress method includes the influence of macro geometric effects and structural discontinuities on the design stress but excludes the local features of the weld. In this thesis, the limitations of the structural hot spot stress method are discussed and a modified structural stress method with improved accuracy is developed and verified for selected welded details. The fatigue life of structures in the as-welded state consists mainly of crack growth from pre-existing cracks or defects. Crack growth rate depends on crack geometry and the stress state on the crack face plane. This means that the stress level and shape of the stress distribution in the assumed crack path governs thetotal fatigue life. In many structural details the stress distribution is similar and adequate fatigue life estimates can be obtained just by adjusting the stress level based on a single stress value, i.e., the structural hot spot stress. There are, however, cases for which the structural stress approach is less appropriate because the stress distribution differs significantly from the more common cases. Plate edge attachments and plates on elastic foundations are some examples of structures with this type of stress distribution. The importance of fillet weld size and weld load variation on the stress distribution is another central topic in this thesis. Structural hot spot stress determination is generally based on a procedure that involves extrapolation of plate surface stresses. Other possibilities for determining the structural hot spot stress is to extrapolate stresses through the thickness at the weld toe or to use Dong's method which includes through-thickness extrapolation at some distance from the weld toe. Both of these latter methods are less sensitive to the FE mesh used. Structural stress based on surface extrapolation is sensitive to the extrapolation points selected and to the FE mesh used near these points. Rules for proper meshing, however, are well defined and not difficult to apply. To improve the accuracy of the traditional structural hot spot stress, a multi-linear stress distribution is introduced. The magnitude of the weld toe stress after linearization is dependent on the weld size, weld load and plate thickness. Simple equations have been derived by comparing assessment results based on the local linear stress distribution and LEFM based calculations. The proposed method is called the modified structural stress method (MSHS) since the structural hot spot stress (SHS) value is corrected using information on weld size andweld load. The correction procedure is verified using fatigue test results found in the literature. Also, a test case was conducted comparing the proposed method with other local fatigue assessment methods.

Comportamento à fadiga de juntas soldadas de aços tipo 460M com fios fluxados

Trabalho Final de Mestrado para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Mecânica

Assessment of meshing techniques for fatigue analysis of load carrying welded joints using the effective notch approach

The effective notch stress approach for the fatigue strength assessment of welded structures as included in the Fatigue Design Recommendation of the IIW requires the numerical analysis of the elastic notch stress in the weld toe and weld root which is fictitiously rounded with a radius of 1mm. The goal of this thesis work was to consider alternate meshing strategies when using the effective notch stress approach to assess the fatigue strength of load carrying partial penetration fillet-welded cruciform joints. In order to establish guidelines for modeling the joint and evaluating the results, various two-dimensional (2D) finite element analyses were carried out by systematically varying the thickness of the plates, the weld throat thickness, the degree of bending, and the shape and location of the modeled effective notch. To extend the scope of this work, studies were also carried out on the influence of

Constant and variable amplitude fatigue strength of high strength steel welds treated with ultrasonic impact treatment

Hitsattujen rakenteiden väsymiskestävyyttä pystytään parantamaan jälkikäsittelymenetelmillä, joistayksi, ultraäänikäsittely muokkaa hitsin geometriaa ja aiheuttaa puristusjäännösjännitystilan. Tässä tutkimuksessa verrataan kokeellisesti kuormaa kantamattoman hitsatun ja ui -käsitellyn rivan väsymislujuutta toisiinsa. Tutkimusohjelmaan kuuluu kahta teräslajia ja sekä vakio - että vaihtuva - amplitudista kuormitusta. Ultraäänikäsittelyllä saavutetaan väsymiskestoiän parantuminen vakio - ja vaihtuva - amplitudisella kuormituksella. Perusaineen lujuudella ei ole merkittää vaikutusta väsymislujuuteen kun liitos on hitsatussa tilassa. Tällöin väsymiskestävyyden määrää hitsin rajaviivan jännityskeskittymä. Ultraäänikäsitellyn hitsatunliitoksen väsymiskestävyys on suurempi korkeamman lujuuden omaavilla teräksillä. Tästä syystä korkealujuuksisten terästen käyttö ultraäänikäsiteltynä väsyttävästi kuormitetuissa kevytrakenteissa on perusteltua.

Fatigue Analysis of Welded Cruciform Joints with Cold Laps

Työssä on tutkittu vetojännityskuormituksen alaisena olevien hitsattujen kuormaa kantamattomien X-liitosten hitsin paikallisen geometrian variaation vaikutusta väsymislujuuteen. Muuttujina olivat reunan pyöristyssäde, kylmäjuoksun suuruus ja kylkikulma. Geometristen muuttujien parametrinen riippuvuussuhde on analysoitu usealla elementtimallilla. Väsymistarkastelu on suoritettu käyttämällä lineaaris-elastista murtumismekaniikkaa (LEFM) tasovenymätilassa ja materiaalina terästä. Särönkasvun suunnan ennustamisessaon käytetty maksimipääjännityskriteeriä sekä jännitysintensiteettikertoimet on määritetty J-integraalilla. Särön ydintymisvaihetta ei ole otettu huomioon. Rakenteen on oletettu olevan hitsatussa tilassa ja jännitysheilahdus on kokonaan tehollinen. Särön kasvunopeuden ennustamiseen on käytetty Paris'n lakia. Väsymislujuustulokset on esitetty karakteristisina väsymisluokkina (FAT) ja sovitettu parametriseksi yhtälöksi. Lopuksi väsymisanalyysin ennustamia tuloksia on verrattu saatavilla oleviin väsytystestituloksiin.

Multivariable regression analysis and hot-spot stress approach into fatigue life estimations of welded joints

Kolmen eri hitsausliitoksen väsymisikä arvio on analysoitu monimuuttuja regressio analyysin avulla. Regression perustana on laaja S-N tietokanta joka on kerätty kirjallisuudesta. Tarkastellut liitokset ovat tasalevy liitos, krusiformi liitos ja pitkittäisripa levyssä. Muuttujina ovat jännitysvaihtelu, kuormitetun levyn paksuus ja kuormitus tapa. Paksuus effekti on käsitelty uudelleen kaikkia kolmea liitosta ajatellen. Uudelleen käsittelyn avulla on varmistettu paksuus effektin olemassa olo ennen monimuuttuja regressioon siirtymistä. Lineaariset väsymisikä yhtalöt on ajettu kolmelle hitsausliitokselle ottaen huomioon kuormitetun levyn paksuus sekä kuormitus tapa. Väsymisikä yhtalöitä on verrattu ja keskusteltu testitulosten valossa, jotka on kerätty kirjallisuudesta. Neljä tutkimustaon tehty kerättyjen väsymistestien joukosta ja erilaisia väsymisikä arvio metodeja on käytetty väsymisiän arviointiin. Tuloksia on tarkasteltu ja niistä keskusteltu oikeiden testien valossa. Tutkimuksissa on katsottu 2mm ja 6mm symmetristäpitkittäisripaa levyssä, 12.7mm epäsymmetristä pitkittäisripaa, 38mm symmetristä pitkittäisripaa vääntökuormituksessa ja 25mm/38mm kuorman kantavaa krusiformi liitosta vääntökuormituksessa. Mallinnus on tehty niin lähelle testi liitosta kuin mahdollista. Väsymisikä arviointi metodit sisältävät hot-spot metodin jossa hot-spot jännitys on laskettu kahta lineaarista ja epälineaarista ekstrapolointiakäyttäen sekä paksuuden läpi integrointia käyttäen. Lovijännitys ja murtumismekaniikka metodeja on käytetty krusiformi liitosta laskiessa.

Effect of Mechanical and Geometric Mismatching on Fatigue and Damage of Welded Joints

The future of high technology welded constructions will be characterised by higher strength materials and improved weld quality with respect to fatigue resistance. The expected implementation of high quality high strength steel welds will require that more attention be given to the issues of crack initiation and mechanical mismatching. Experiments and finite element analyses were performed within the framework of continuum damage mechanics to investigate the effect of mismatching of welded joints on void nucleation and coalescence during monotonic loading. It was found that the damage of undermatched joints mainly occurred in the sandwich layer and the damageresistance of the joints decreases with the decrease of the sandwich layer width. The damage of over-matched joints mainly occurred in the base metal adjacent to the sandwich layer and the damage resistance of the joints increases with thedecrease of the sandwich layer width. The mechanisms of the initiation of the micro voids/cracks were found to be cracking of the inclusions or the embrittled second phase, and the debonding of the inclusions from the matrix. Experimental fatigue crack growth rate testing showed that the fatigue life of under-matched central crack panel specimens is longer than that of over-matched and even-matched specimens. Further investigation by the elastic-plastic finite element analysis indicated that fatigue crack closure, which originated from the inhomogeneousyielding adjacent to the crack tip, played an important role in the fatigue crack propagation. The applicability of the J integral concept to the mismatched specimens with crack extension under cyclic loading was assessed. The concept of fatigue class used by the International Institute of Welding was introduced in the parametric numerical analysis of several welded joints. The effect of weld geometry and load condition on fatigue strength of ferrite-pearlite steel joints was systematically evaluated based on linear elastic fracture mechanics. Joint types included lap joints, angle joints and butt joints. Various combinations of the tensile and bending loads were considered during the evaluation with the emphasis focused on the existence of both root and toe cracks. For a lap joint with asmall lack-of-penetration, a reasonably large weld leg and smaller flank angle were recommended for engineering practice in order to achieve higher fatigue strength. It was found that the fatigue strength of the angle joint depended strongly on the location and orientation of the preexisting crack-like welding defects, even if the joint was welded with full penetration. It is commonly believed that the double sided butt welds can have significantly higher fatigue strength than that of a single sided welds, but fatigue crack initiation and propagation can originate from the weld root if the welding procedure results in a partial penetration. It is clearly shown that the fatigue strength of the butt joint could be improved remarkably by ensuring full penetration. Nevertheless, increasing the fatigue strength of a butt joint by increasing the size of the weld is an uneconomical alternative.

The effects of welding heat input on the usability of high strength steels in welded structures

High strength steel (HSS) has been in use in workshops since the 1980s. At that time, the significance of the term HSS differed from the modern conception as the maximum yield strength of HSSs has increased nearly every year. There are three different ways to make HSS. The first and oldest method is QT (quenched and tempered) followed by the TMCP (thermomechanical controlled process) and DQ (direct quenching) methods. This thesis consists of two parts, the first of which part introduces the research topic and discusses welded HSS structures by characterizing the most important variables. In the second part of the thesis, the usability of welded HSS structures is examined through a set of laboratory tests. The results of this study explain the differences in the usability of the welded HSSs made by the three different methods. The results additionally indicate that usage of different HSSs in the welded structures presumes that manufacturers know what kind of HSS they are welding. As manufacturers use greater strength HSSs in welded structures, the demands for welding rise as well. Therefore, during the manufacturing process, factors such as heat input, cooling time, weld quality, and more must be under careful observation.

Investigation of the fatigue performance of welded duplex stainless steel

Diplomityössä tutkitaan hitsatun duplex-teräksen, laatu: EN 1.4462 (Outokumpu laatu 2205) väsymislujuutta. Tutkimusmetodologia noudattaa sekä kokeellisia että laskennallisia menetelmiä. Kokeelliset menetelmät sisältävät hitsatun teräksen väsytystestaukset laboratoriossa, hitsausten jälkikäsittelyt (HiFIT) sekä perusaineelle ja hitseille tehtävät metallurgiset tutkimukset. Väsytyskokeista saatavia tuloksia verrataan kansainvälisen hitsausinstituutin (IIW) vahvistamiin rakennekohtaisiin standardeihin sekä kirjallisuudessa esiintyviin tutkimustuloksiin. Laskennalliset menetelmät sisältävät vertailulaskelmia tehollisen lovijännityksen (ENS) menetelmää hyödyntäen. Tehollisen lovijännityksen menetelmässä liitoksissa vaikuttavat teholliset lovijännitykset selvitetään elementtimenetelmän (FEM) avulla. Tulokset vahvistavat, että hitsauksella ja hitsausten jälkikäsittelyllä on suuri merkitys rakenteen kestoikään. Suurin osa väsytyskokeiden tuloksista osoitti parempia väsymiskestävyyden arvoja kuin rakennekohtaiset standardit, mutta liitosten liitosvirheiden todettiin heikentävän väsytyskestävyyttä. Jälkikäsittelyiden todettiin parantavan liitosten väsymiskestävyyden tuloksia ja todettiin tulosten olevan hyödynnettävissä mitoituksessa.

Effect of Laser Shock Peening on Fatigue Crack Propagation of Aeronautical Structures

Laser Shock Peening (LSP) is a surface enhancement treatment which induces a significant layer of beneficial compressive residual stresses up to several mm underneath the surface of metal components in order to improve the detrimental effects of crack growth behavior rate in it. The aim of this thesis is to predict the crack growth behavior of thin Aluminum specimens with one or more LSP stripes defining a compressive residual stress area. The LSP treatment has been applied as crack retardation stripes perpendicular to the crack growing direction, with the objective of slowing down the crack when approaching the LSP patterns. Different finite element approaches have been implemented to predict the residual stress field left by the laser treatment, mostly by means of the commercial software Abaqus/Explicit. The Afgrow software has been used to predict the crack growth behavior of the component following the laser peening treatment and to detect the improvement in fatigue life comparing to the specimen baseline. Furthermore, an analytical model has been implemented on the Matlab software to make more accurate predictions on fatigue life of the treated components. An educational internship at the Research and Technologies Germany- Hamburg department of Airbus helped to achieve knowledge and experience to write this thesis. The main tasks of the thesis are the following: -To up to date Literature Survey related to laser shock peening in metallic structures -To validate the FE models developed against experimental measurements at coupon level -To develop design of crack growth slow down in centered and edge cracked tension specimens based on residual stress engineering approach using laser peened patterns transversal to the crack path -To predict crack growth behavior of thin aluminum panels -To validate numerical and analytical results by means of experimental tests.

A fatigue damage model for seismic response of RC structures

Numerous damage models have been developed in order to analyze seismic behavior. Among the different possibilities existing in the literature, it is very clear that models developed along the lines of continuum damage mechanics are more consistent with the definition of damage as a phenomenon with mechanical consequences because they include explicitly the coupling between damage and mechanical behavior. On the other hand, for seismic processes, phenomena such as low cycle fatigue may have a pronounced effect on the overall behavior of the frames and, therefore, its consideration turns out to be very important. However, most of existing models evaluate the damage only as a function of the maximum amplitude of cyclic deformation without considering the number of cycles. In this paper, a generalization of the simplified model proposed by Cipollina et al. [Cipollina A, López-Hinojosa A, Flórez-López J. Comput Struct 1995;54:1113–26] is made in order to include the low cycle fatigue. Such a model employs in its formulation irreversible thermodynamics and internal state variable theory.

Fatigue damage modelling of steel structures

In the present work a constitutive model is developed which permits the simulation of the low cycle fatigue behaviour in steel framed structures. In the elaboration of this model, the concepts of the mechanics of continuum medium are applied on lumped dissipative models. In this type of formulation an explicit coupling between the damage and the structural mechanical behaviour is employed, allowing the possibility of considering as a whole different coupled phenomena. A damage index is defined in order to model elastoplasticity coupled with damage and fatigue damage.