A Study on the Behavior of Elastic Stress Distribution in Front Fillet Welds by Finite Element Method

Front Fillet Welds에서의 탄성응력(彈性應力)의 거동(擧動)에 관(關)한 연구(硏究)

This paper investigates the distribution of stress and its behavior at the Root Toe in fillet welding joint. Furthermore, the stress components and principal stresses in the fillet welds are calculated by the finite element method. The distribution of stresses obtained numerically by means of the finite element method is also compared with the experimental results of two dimensional photoelasticity. A Cover plate type and Center block type of fillet welds are used as models for the numerical calculations covering the variations of 2 W/M(thickness of main plate/thickness of cover plate)=1 through 2W/M=4. The results obtained in these studies are summarized as follows; 1) When W2/M values become small, the stress concentration factors of the Root are larger than of the Toe in a C-type. Its critical value is 2W/M=3.00. However, no critical value exists in a T-type. 2) For 2W/M Values being avove 3.5 in a C-type and above 4.0 in a T-type, $K_R$ and $K_{\tau}$ become 1. 3) According to the differences of 2W/M values, the differences in stress become increasing in the Root but become decreasing in the Toe. These differences, however, disappear as the free boundary surface is approached. 4) The stress concentration factors of both the Root and Toe obtained by means of the finite element method have somewhat lower values than obtained by the photoelasiticity. But their principal stress directions coincide in either method. 5) It proves beneficial to employ the finite element method for two-dimensional plane stress analysis in front fillet welding joint.