Development of a computational fatigue model for evaluation of weld quality

The current study focuses on the development of a predictive model for assessing the fatigue life of welded joints based on measured weld geometry and applied load. Two different materials (S355 and S960) and two different material thicknesses (2 mm and 8 mm) were considered. Experiments on cruciform joints were conducted to evaluate the fatigue performance for different types of weld geometries. A computational model based on FEM and linear elastic fracture mechanics was developed and adapted to fit the experimental results using optimization and surrogate models. It is observed that the general fatigue behavior differs for the different materials for the same variation in geometry. The fatigue performance depends on a combination of geometrical parameters. The use of FAT curves according to the weld quality systems, e.g., ISO 5817, is insufficient to describe fatigue properties for welds in thin high strength steel, and different geometries within different weld quality levels can give the same fatigue behavior. It is also concluded that the developed computational model is suitable for further development of weld quality systems.