Determination of Residual Welding Stresses in Load Bearing Structures Made of Welded Hollow Sections

Abstract

This paper presents methodology for determining residual stresses originated from welding process in load bearing bridge steel structures made of square profile tubes. Simulated welding process was performed together with the selected welding sequences and due to significant thermal effect on the welding area residual stresses inside the butt weld area and around it were evaluated. The developed finite element (FE) model allows determining residual stresses of welding in any type of hollow sections butt welds.

Keywords

• bridge steel structures
• hollow sections
• welding
• welded joints
• stress
• strain
• finite elements (fe)
• residual stress