Written Report

Structural Steel Design

CE 511

WELDED CONNECTIONS
WELDED CONNECTION
• Welding is a process of joining two pieces of metal by heating their surfaces to a plastic or fluid state and
allow the parts to fuse together usually with the addition of other molten metal. The bond between the
members is completed after the molten metal solidifies.

TYPES OF WELDING PROCESS

• Shielded Metal Arc Welding Process (SMAW)
This is the most common welding method using metallic rod which is used as the electrode.

• Submerged Arc Welding Process (SAW)

This method of welding is most often used in fabrication shop.

CLASSIFICATION OF WELDS
• Based upon the types of welds
• Based upon the types of joint used
• Based on the position of the weld

Based upon the types of joint used:

• Butt Joint
• Lap Joint
• Tee Joint
• Edge
• Corner
Based on the position of weld:
• Flat Weld
• Horizontal Weld
• Vertical Weld
• Overhead Weld
Based Upon the Types of Welds
 Fillet Welds
- are usually used for structural connections but they are weaker compare to groove welds.
- The design and analysis of fillet weld is based on the assumption that the cross section of the weld is a 45ᵒ right
triangle.
- The strength of a fillet weld depends on the weld metal used (it is a function of the type of electrode).

Fillet Welds Nomenclature

 Fillet-weld nomenclature for equal legs

 Fillet-weld nomenclature for unequal legs

 The strength of the fillet weld is equal to the allowable shearing stress times the theoretical throat area of
the weld. The throat area equals the theoretical throat distance times the length of the weld.

Values of Theoretical Throat for a Fillet Weld

• For Shielded Metal Arc Welding Process

1. 𝑇𝑒 = 0.707𝑡 (for equal legs of nominal size “t”)
𝑎𝑏
2. 𝑇𝑒 = (for unequal legs of nominal size a and b)
√𝑎 2 +𝑏2
• For Submerged Arc Welding Process
1. When t < 10 mm
𝑇𝑒 = 𝑡
2. When t >10 mm
𝑇𝑒 = 0.707𝑡 + 3mm
510.3.3.1 Effective Area
1. The effective area of fillet welds shall be taken as the effective length times the effective throat thickness:
𝐴 = 0.707𝑡𝐿 (SMAW Process)
2. Effective length of fillet in holes and slots shall be the overall length of full size fillets including returns
𝐿 = 2𝑥 + 2𝑦
3. The effective throat thickness shall be the shortest distance from the root of the joint to the face of the
diagrammatic weld, except that for fillet welds made by the submerged arc process.
𝑇𝑒 = 𝑡 for t < 10 mm
𝑇𝑒 = 0.707𝑡 + 3mm for t > 10 mm
(SAW Process)
4. The fillet welds in holes and slots, the effective length shall be the length of the center line of the weld along the
center of the plane through the throat. In case of overlapping fillets, the effective area shall not exceed the
nominal cross-sectional area of the hole slot in the plane of faying surface.

510.3.3.2 LIMITATIONS

1. Minimum size of Fillet Welds

Minimum weld size is dependent upon the thickness of the two parts of the joined, except that the weld size need
not to exceed the thickness of the thinner part.