WELDED CONNECTIONS

II

Teaching Resources

TRUSS CONNECTIONS
Type of connections to be fixed at conceptual stage
planar trusses
Web members may be directly welded to chord
members
Eccentricities
Element centroidal axes not intersecting at a point
Connection centroid not coinciding with the
element centroid
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DIRECT CONNECTION OF WEB MEMBERS

CONNECTION AT THE APEX OF A ROOF TRUSS

EAVES CONNECTION

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ECCENTRICITIES IN TRUSS CONNECTIONS

(a) PRATT TRUSS,
(b) CROSS BRACING BETWEEN PLATE GIRDERS

e P
e

(a)

(b)

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PORTAL FRAME CONNECTIONS

Common frame spacing - 4.5m to 7.5m

Eaves and apex locations
Critical moment occurs at eaves
Plastic analysis leads to redistribution and lighter
sections
Haunched sections for increased rotation
capacity

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MOMENT TRANSMISSION AT
CORNER USING A SHEAR PANEL

MOMENT TRANSMISSION AT CORNER

USING A DIAGONAL STIFFENER

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VARIOUS EAVES CONNECTIONS OF PORTAL FRAMES

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

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WELDED APEX CONNECTIONS

(a) GENERAL ARRANGEMENT
(b) (d) DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO THE TENSION FLANGE
CONNECTION

(a)

(b)

(d)

(c)

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COLUMN AND BEAM SPLICES

Structural sections are available only in specific

lengths
Splices are provided at non-critical locations
Column splice
Partial penetration butt welds are economical.
Welded beam splice plates
Beam splice where bending moment is low splicing
of webs due to
Required length of plate is not available
Girder may be cambered at the splice
Thickness of the girder may be varied
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Two methods of design of beam splices

To resist the calculated moment and shear at the
point of splice
To develop full resistance in both shear and flexure

(a)

(b)

(a) Butt welded column splices

(b)Welded Splice Plate Connection

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STAGGERED FORM OF ARRANGEMENT FOR

TEMPORARY SUPPORT
X

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BUTT WELDED SPLICE PLATE CONNECTION

X

X Only weld here if its

absence could lead to
corrosion

X-X
X

HYBRID CONNECTION

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BEAM-BEAM AND BEAM-COLUMN CONNECTIONS

Types of beam connections
Rotational characteristics of connections
Simple
0-20% moment resistance
Semi rigid
20 -90%
Rigid
>90%

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WELDED BEAM CONNECTIONS

Web angles
Beam seats
Shear connections
Stiffened beam seats
Moment resistant connections

Two common ways of stress transfer at connection

Bending forces occur in beam flanges and for
transfer, welds to be provided at the beam flanges
For transfer of shear forces welds to be provided
at webs

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FRAMED SIMPLE CONNECTION

End return

Erection bolt

WELDED SEMIRIGID CONNECTION

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w kg / m

w kg /m
wl2 / 8

+
(a)

wl2 / 24
+
(b)

wl2 / 12

w kg /m

wl2 / 24

wl2 / 12

w kg /m
wl2 / 12
wl2 / 24

wl / 16
2

(c)

wl2 / 16
+

wl2 / 16

(d)
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

Simple Connections (0%)

Rigid Connections (100%)
Semi Rigid Connections (50%)
Semi Rigid Connections (75%)

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WELDED MOMENT - RESISTING CONNECTION

WELDED WEB ANGLES

End returns

End returns

Erectio
n bolts

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ECCENTRICITY OF REACTION FORCES

R/2 R/2
e

0.1
L
0.6L

End return

0.9L

0.3L
Beam web

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WELDED SEATED- BEAM CONNECTIONS

Top angle
Optional
location of top L
Erection Bolts

Erection bolt

Seat or shelf angle

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STIFFENED BEAM SEAT CONNECTION

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MOMENT RESISTANT CONNECTIONS

Continuous structures
Connections are designed to resist full moments
Efficient connections
Moment resistance may reduce
Bending of the column at the connection point
Top connection plate tries to bend column flange

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MOMENT RESISTING CONNECTIONS -1

Groove weld
Fillet weld
End connection plate

(b)

C
Stiffened seat
(a)

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Top connection plate

pulling away from
connection

Weld is over
stressed here
(a)

Reinforcing plate cut

back

(b)

(a) OVERSTRESSING OF THE WELD,

(b) COLUMN FLANGE STIFFENED WITH PLATES

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FATIGUE BEHAVIOUR
Number of cycles or the time taken to attain a
pre- defined failure criteria eg. Bridges,Crane
girders
High cycle low stress fatigue - 108 cycles
Low-cycle high stress fatigue <105 cycles
Corrosion fatigue
Uncertain features due to
Environmental effects
Prediction of internal stresses
Time to failure
Methods of analysis
S-N approach and fracture mechanics approach
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CHARACTERISTICS OF FATIGUE FAILURE

Poor design and fabrication are prime reasons

Crack initiation and propagation
Fatigue crack is transgranular
Fracture surface may be either crystalline or
fibrous
Mechanism of fatigue
Plastic flow due to stress concentration effects

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FACTORS INFLUENCING FATIGUE BEHAVIOUR

Stress range
Stress concentration
Rate of cyclic loading
Residual stresses
Size
Geometry
Environment
Temperature
Previous stress history

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FRACTURED SURFACE OF A SPECIMEN

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FATIGUE MECHANISM

10 -3 min
5*10 6 mm
(a) Fine slip

(b) Coarse bond produced by

alternating slip

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THREE LEVELS OF STRESS CONCENTRATION

Structural action
Relative deformation between adjacent elements
Secondary members
Macroscopic stress concentration
Geometric stress interruption to stress flow

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 Local geometric stress concentration

Crack tip effects occur in weld or HAZ
For low stress range,frequency effect is
insignificant
For high stress range ,increase in frequency
produces increase in apparent fatigue strength
Effect of residual stresses varies considerably.
Fatigue limit is 50% of ultimate stress
FI = 140 + 0.25FU

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TYPICAL CONNECTION DETAILS

(a) Industrial roof structure

(b) Bridge structure

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BENDING STRESSES IN A DISCONTINUOUS BEAM

(a) Beam arrangement

(b) Stress flow at change in

direction

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STRESS CONCENTRATION AT THE TOE OF A

FILLET WELD

(a) Fillet weld arrangement

(b) Tensile stress flow

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Fatigue failure at a welded joint may occur due to

Porosity,slag inclusion and defects

Lack of fusion or microscopic cracks
Crystalline change in base metal in HAZ
Due to undercut at toe edge of the weld

Butt welded joints have better fatigue resistance

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FATIGUE ANALYSIS
Nominal stress
Hot spot stress
Number of stress reversals before failure

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S-N curve approach

Cyclic stress range(S) to number of cycles to failures(N)
Log-log relationship is linear
NSm =
Goodmans diagram
Variable amplitude loading
Stress spectrum
Damage due to each band in stress spectrum
Palmgren - Miner rule
n1 n 2
n

n 1.0
N1 N 2
Nn

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VARIOUS PARAMETERS IN FATIGUE

R = Smin / Smax

tr
e
s
s

Se
Smax
Sm

Sr
One load cycle

Time

Smin

Se = Alternating stress altitude

Sr = Stress range
Sm =Mean stress
Smax =Maximum stress
Smin =Minimum stress

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S N CURVE (WOHLER CURVE)

Stress range Mpa

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Number of cycles to failure (N) in thousands

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S N CURVE PRESENTED ON A LOG-LOG SCALE

Zero - to - tension cycle

F1,00,000

NSrm =

Stress range Mpa (log scale)

S

F2,000,000

N
Cycles to failure N (Log scale)
F1,00,000 = fatigue strength for 100,000 Cycles
F2000,000 = fatigue strength for 2000,000
Cycles

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GOODMAN DIAGRAM

100

Ultimate tensile strength

80
60

Maximum stress in cycle

Tensile or compressive stress, in percent

static ultimate strength
Tension
40

33%

Minimum stress in cycle

20
0

Line of zero stress

-20
-40

33% of Ultimate

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Compression

STRESS RANGE SPECTRUM

True spectrum

t1
t2
t3
t4
t5
n1 n2 n3 n4

n5

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Fracture mechanics
Presence of cracks is accounted
K = Y** a
Stress intensity factor,K

da
log10
vs log10 k
dN
da
m
c k
dN

relationship is a sigmoidal curve

Paris equation

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SCHEMATIC PRESENTATION OF CRACK GROWTH

-3
-6

Non
continuum
mechanism

Log 10

Threshold Kth

Continuum
mechanism
(striation
growth)
B
m
1

Kic final failure

da / dN = C Km
Static failure mechanism

-9
Log10 K

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da \ dN

INDIAN STANDARD PRACTICE

IS 1024 -1979 -Code of practice for use of

welding in
bridges
and structures
subjected to dynamic loading
Working stress is reduced to allow effects of
fatigue

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Seven clauses of weld details

Permissible stress in welds
Combined bending and shear

f e f bt 3 f
2

f bc 2 3 f 2

or

Combined shear,bearing and bending

f e f bc f b f bt f b 3 f or f bc f b f bc f b 3 f
2

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CLASS E FULL PENETRATION

CRUCIFORM BUTT WELD

Class E stress refers to this member

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TYPICAL CLASS F WELD DETAILS

These connections include

stiffener to flange welds
X

Ends of Flange
Plates Whether
Weld transversely
or not

X
X
In this case load is
resisted by bending of
the plate
Check principal stress in web at ends of
stiffener to web welds (or equally at any other
attachment to a shear-loaded
m ember)

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TYPICAL CLASS G WELD DETAILS

X
X

Longitudinal load carrying fillet welds

(a)

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TYPICAL CLASS G WELD DETAILS -1

X Member under
consideration
Cruciform

Egg box

X
X
(b)

X
(c)

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IMPROVEMENT OF FATIGUE STRENGTH

Improvement techniques
Fatigue strength improvement by
Weld geometry improvement
Residual stress reduction
Crack initiation life can be extended by
Removal of crack like defects
Reducing SC in weld
Reduction of tensile residual stresses

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WELD IMPROVEMENT TECHNIQUES

Weld toe grinding
Removal of small cracks (0.5 mm) by grinding
Concave surface
Weld dressing
Weld profile is smoothened by dressing
Weld toe remelting
TIG or Plasma arc dressing
Hammer peening
Application of repeated hammering

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REPAIRS TO CRACKED WELDS

Repaired weld may contain defects and may have

a lower fatigue life.
Repaired weld should be to a revised detail.

Additional stiffening to reduce stress range

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FATIGUE RESISTANT DESIGN

General suggestions
Butt weld
Double-sided fillet weld
Avoid stress concentration
Avoid abrupt transition in sections
Eliminate or reduce eccentricities
Avoid attachments to parts subjected to fatigue
loading
Use continuous welds

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FATIGUE RESISTANT DESIGN-1

Proper inspection during fabrication

Deep penetration fillet welds
Proper inspection during service
Provide structural redundancy
Provide crack arrestors

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SUMMARY
Types of beam-to-beam and beam-to-column
welded connections are described.

Fatigue effects and factors affecting fatigue

behaviour of welded connections are explained.
Methods of evaluating fatigue lives of welded
connections are presented.
Techniques for improving fatigue performance
and fracture resistant design are explained.
Indian Standard codal provisions are included.

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