Residual stresses in high-strength steel welded square box sections

Previous research has shown that the residual stresses in high-strength steel (HSS) members can be smaller than those in normal-strength steel structures. To investigate the residual stress distribution in HSS structures, a complex experimental and numerical research programme was carried out on welded square box sections at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. The test specimens were obtained from three different manufacturers using six different steel grades (S235, S355, S420, S460, S500 and S960). Parallel to the laboratory tests, the effect of the welding process on residual stresses was also studied using a numerical welding simulation technique. The shape and intensity of the residual stress pattern on square box section members were also determined by numerical simulations and compared with the test results. The observed tendencies in the tests and numerical simulations were analysed with respect to the effect of yield strength and section dimensions on the residual stress distribution and magnitude.