Abstract
In the case of thin plate blocks, buckling deformation due to longitudinal shrinkage is the most important weld-induced deformation. This paper is concerned with developing the formula to predict the longitudinal shrinkage due to welding, in which mechanical tension effect in welding direction is accounted for. For this purpose, bead on plate welding test has been carried out for the 27 thin plate specimens with varying welding conditions and magnitude of tensile load. Empirical formula of predicting the longitudinal shrinkage has been derived based on the results of welding test, in which effect of mechanical tension is included. The derived formula can be usefully used in predicting the level of tensile load to reduce the longitudinal shrinkage.