Estimation of Welding Deformations for Actual Plate Girders

Abstract

The present study is attempt to establish estimation system for welding deformation of plate girder used in bridge. Welding deformations for actual plate girders (12 members) are measured, and approximate analyses are conducted by inherent strain and elastic beam, theory, forthermore, numerical estimation system is attempted using Fourier-series and analyzed results for welding deformations.
The main results are follows.
(1) Longitudinal shrinkage and longitudinal bending deformation caused by 4 fillet welds to make-up I-section plate girder are indicated by uniform shrinkage strain for neutral axis and curvature, and they are affected welding sequence, each fillet weld, and correlated respectively by approximate linear regressions with parameters Q/A, Qe/I (Q: welding heat input, A; area of section, e; moment arm, I; geometrical moment of inertia) for each fillet weld and welding sequence.
(2) Distribution of deflection for a plate girder with varied sections along the longitudinal direction is estimated accurately by numerical analysis using above linear regressions and Fourier-series.