A STUDY ON METHOD FOR PREVENTING ROOT FATIGUE FAILURE OF OUT-OF-PLANE GUSSET WELDED JOINTS WITH GROUND TOES USING EFFECTIVE NOTCH STRESS

Abstract

In out-of-plane gusset welded joints, fatigue cracks usually initiate from the boxing weld toes at which high stress concentration exists. The fatigue strength can be enhanced by making shape of boxing weld toe smooth with grinding process. In this case, fatigue crack initiation points sometimes move to weld roots from weld toes. This research is aiming at proposing the method to prevent root fatigue failure of out-of-plane gusset welded joints with ground toes through fatigue tests on model specimens and parametric FE analyses for obtaining effective notch stresses at weld roots and weld toes.