Fracture Mechanics Approach to Fatigue Limit at Roots of Fillet Welded Joints under Pulsating Bending

Abstract

When fillet welded joints with lack of penetration is subjected to bending, the compressive part of incomplete penetration will contact and increase the crack opening displacement.
In this paper, the stress, intensity factor, K, were analyzed with the aid of finite element method for the case where partial contact occurs, and fatigue tests under pulsating bending were carried out on fillet welded joints with lack of penetration. As a result, the fatigue limit at the root of fillet welded joint under pulsating bending can be evaluated by the application of fracture mechanics technology.
Moreover, it is found that the partial crack contact result in the slight increase in K-values.