Numerical analysis of residual stresses in welds of similar or dissimilar steel weldments under superimposed tensile loads

This paper presented the characteristics of residual stresses in welds of similar or dissimilar steel weldments by carrying out three-dimensional (3-D) thermal elastic plastic finite element (FE) analyses. Moreover, residual stress behavior in welds of the weldments under superimposed tensile loads was further investigated. The materials used in this investigation were SM400, SM490, SM520 and SM570, widely used structural steels in welded structure. Results show that the maximum longitudinal residual stresses in welds of the similar steel weldments increase with increasing yield stress of the steel welded (SM400 < SM490 < SM520 < SM570). When tensile loads are superimposed to edges of the weldments, the maximum longitudinal residual stresses are increased to a higher value. In case of the dissimilar steel weldments, the difference between the longitudinal residual stresses in welds increases with increasing yield stress of the steel welded together with SM400 (SM490 < SM520 < SM570). When tensile loads are superimposed to edges of the weldments, same pattern is noted for the longitudinal stresses in welds and the difference is almost the same as that between the longitudinal residual stresses in welds. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.