Font Size: 

Crack paths in friction stir welded SE(T) plates contain an offset hole wereinvestigated. Fatigue tests were performed with and without friction stir weld in a rangeof samples, and then crack paths and fatigue crack growth rates were compared. Inorder to study the effect of offset hole on crack trajectory, crack paths were studied andcompared after the offset hole made on a range of samples with and without weld. It isshown that crack grow rates are slower with weld than without weld. The position ofhole has a big effect on crack path. Program was developed to input the residual stressdistribution into finite element model by ABAQUS, crack paths were predicted tounderstand the test findings. These predictions were compared with experimental datagathered on crack deviation behaviour and used to assess the accuracy of the maximumtangential stress criterion for prediction of crack deviation behaviour.