Rapid Calculation of Residual Notch Stress Intensity Factors (R- NSIFs) by Means of the Peak Stress Method

Abstract

The intensity of the residual singular stress distribution can be quantified by the residual notch stress intensity factor (R-NSIF), which might be a useful stress parameter to include in local approaches for fatigue strength assessments of welded joints. In order to calculate the residual stress fields by means of welding process simulations, the mesh adopted in numerical models has necessarily to be very fine. Unfortunately, the nonlinear and transient behavior of the welding simulation makes numerical analyses extremely demanding in terms of computational time, particularly, if large welded structures and/or multipass welds have to be simulated. In this scenario, the use of methods aimed at reducing the computational effort to estimate local stresses and strains in welded structures can be effective. Among these, the peak stress method has been proposed to estimate the notch stress intensity factors (NSIFs) at sharp V-notches, using coarse finite element patterns. In this work, the peak stress method (PSM) has been used to calculate the R-NSIF of a full penetration welded T-joint. It has been shown that the PSM can successfully be used to estimate R-NSIFs values, provided that the stress redistribution induced by plasticity in the zone very close to the notch tip is negligible.