Fast 3D simulation of a single-pass steel girth weld

The prediction of welding residual stresses requires accurate account to be taken of the couplings between heat transfer, metallurgy and stresses-strains in the heat affected zone. To begin with, simulations of residual stresses for welding processes were performed at the beginning of the 1970s. Since then, calculations have been compared and validated with experimental measurements, the major problem remaining is the calculation time. Despite the technological evolution of computers, a 3D calculation can last several days. To avoid this difficulty, a 3D simplified approach is proposed in this article. It consists of decreasing the computation time for the current zone of the welds. To show the relevance of such an approach, the methodology developed is presented through the application of a single-pass steel girth weld. For this application, the computing time can be reduced by more than 67% compared to a standard "step by step" simulation.