The significance of weld toe undercuts in the fatigue of steel plate T-joints

Abstract The weld toe undercut is one of the defects which can initiate fatigue cracks in welded offshore structures. However, its significance as compared with other stress raisers, such as slag inclusions and local weld toe geometry is not known. This paper investigates the effect of weld toe undercut depth on the fatigue life of welded plate T-joints loaded in three-point bending. The development of the fatigue cracks is monitored using ACPD measurement techniques.