Continuum approach to fatigue crack initiation and propagation in welded steel joints

Abstract In this paper, a continuum-based discrete crack growth approach is introduced for the fatigue life analysis of welded steel joints. The proposed approach applies cumulative damage models utilising the material hardness and grain size statistics. The approach is validated with fatigue strength tests, and the predicted crack growth rates and fatigue lives have been observed to be in good agreement with the experiments.

[1]  Vincent Caccese,et al.  Effect of weld geometric profile on fatigue life of cruciform welds made by laser/GMAW processes , 2006 .

[2]  Cetin Morris Sonsino,et al.  Fatigue assessment of welded joints by local approaches Second edition , 2007 .

[3]  Norio Kawagoishi,et al.  Significance of the small crack growth law and its practical application , 2000 .

[4]  S. B. Lambert,et al.  Prediction of fatigue crack growth under constant amplitude loading and a single overload based on elasto-plastic crack tip stresses and strains , 2008 .

[5]  L. Coffin,et al.  A Study of the Effects of Cyclic Thermal Stresses on a Ductile Metal , 1954, Journal of Fluids Engineering.

[6]  S. Manson.  Behavior of materials under conditions of thermal stress , 1953 .

[7]  E. Hall,et al.  The Deformation and Ageing of Mild Steel: III Discussion of Results , 1951 .

[8]  D. McDowell,et al.  Microstructure-sensitive computational modeling of fatigue crack formation , 2010 .

[9]  Heikki Remes,et al.  Differences in Fatigue Strength between Arc and Laser Hybrid Welded Joints , 2007 .

[10]  Xiaoyan Zeng,et al.  Laser-TIG hybrid welding of ultra-fine grained steel , 2009 .

[11]  Heikki Remes,et al.  Statistics of Weld Geometry for Laser-Hybrid Welded Joints and its Application within Notch Stress Approach , 2010 .

[12]  N. Petch,et al.  The Cleavage Strength of Polycrystals , 1953 .

[13]  David Taylor,et al.  Geometrical effects in fatigue: a unifying theoretical model , 1999 .

[14]  G. Glinka,et al.  A two parameter driving force for fatigue crack growth analysis , 2005 .

[15]  Staufer Herbert,et al.  Laser-hybrid welding of ships , 2004 .

[16]  K. N. Smith.  A Stress-Strain Function for the Fatigue of Metals , 1970 .

[17]  Cetin Morris Sonsino,et al.  Recent developments in local concepts of fatigue assessment of welded joints , 2009 .

[18]  Two-Phase Grain Structures.  Standard Test Methods for Determining Average Grain Size Using Semiautomatic and Automatic Image Analysis 1 , 2004 .

[19]  Xiaoyan Zeng,et al.  Microstructure characteristics of laser–MIG hybrid welded mild steel , 2008 .

[20]  G. Glinka,et al.  Analysis of fatigue crack growth in an attachment lug based on the weight function technique and the UniGrow fatigue crack growth model , 2012 .

[21]  G. Glinka,et al.  Elastic-plastic fatigue crack growth analysis under variable amplitude loading spectra , 2009 .

[22]  B. Yilbas,et al.  Comparative study: Mechanical and metallurgical aspects of tailored welded blanks (TWBs) , 2008 .

[23]  A. Fatemi,et al.  Strain-controlled fatigue properties of steels and some simple approximations , 2000 .

[24]  Pentti Kujala,et al.  Advanced Joining Techniques in European Shipbuilding , 2004 .

[25]  Ji-Ho Song,et al.  Estimation methods for strain-life fatigue properties from hardness , 2006 .

[26]  Steve Lambert,et al.  A study of the stress ratio effects on fatigue crack growth using the unified two-parameter fatigue crack growth driving force , 2007 .

[27]  Heikki Remes,et al.  Strain-based approach to fatigue strength assessment of laser-welded joints , 2008 .

[28]  Zengliang Gao,et al.  Fatigue crack initiation and growth of 16MnR steel with stress ratio effects , 2012 .