A Finite Element Calculation of Stress Intensity Factors of Cruciform and Butt Welded Joints for Some Geometrical Parameters

With welded joints, stress concentrations occur at the weld toe and at the weld root, which make these regions the points from which fatigue cracks may initiate. To calculate the fatigue life of welded structures and to analyze the progress of these cracks using fracture mechanics technique requires an accurate calculation of the stress intensity factor SIF. The existing SIFs were usually derived for one particular geometry and type of loading. In this study, the finite element method (FEM) was used to calculate the SIF. The stress intensity factors during the crack propagation phase were calculated by using the software FRANC2D, which is shown to be highly accurate, with the direction of crack propagation being predicted by using the maximum normal stress criterion. In the current work, a new analytical approach for the weld toe crack in cruciform welded joints has been used. The SIF results from FRANC2D were compared with those from the International Institute of Welding-IIW, and literature. A good correlation was obtained and the work results have bench marked which made it possible to use FRANC2D to simulate different weld geometries. The results of these comparisons are shown and the agreement is clearly well