Issue34

C. Fischer et alii, Frattura ed Integrità Strutturale, 34 (2015) 99-108; DOI: 10.3221/IGF-ESIS.34.10 107 Tab. 2. The different variants of the transverse attachment (variant 1 to 3), both referring to Detail C and the vertical layout, deviate from each other by about 10% being caused by a nearly constant difference between the weld shape factors. Again, the effect of the bending constraint is reduced. The influence of the flank angle is analytically considered by the stress magnification factor M k being e.g. reported in the IIW guideline [10]. The integration of M k from a i = 0.15 mm to a f = 3 mm yields an increasing relative life of about 22% for α = 25° and a / c = 0 compared to α = 45°. The factor is equal one for crack depths a ≥ 3 mm and thus ineffective. The increase of life is about 14% for the steeper flank angle α = 33° of Detail C. Fig. 9 illustrates the influence of the sloped layout and the weld flank angle for two selected variants. The life of the supported transverse attachment (3) decreases at Detail A. The effect is overlaid by the smaller flank angle at the other two details and, hence, omitted. The stress concentration of the transverse attachment (1) is only affected by the flank angle, being smaller at Detail B and C. Thus, the computed life is reduced. 1) Transverse attachment 2) Transverse attachment w. gradient 3) Supported transverse attachment 5) Complex structure Degree of bending  0.0 0.3 0.3 0.3 Weld shape factor K W 2.27 2.12 2.04 2.18 Fatigue life N P 274,500 283,000 296,200 390,100 Rel. fatigue life 1.00 1.03 1.08 1.42 Table 5 : Computed fatigue life N p for the same effective notch stress σ eff = 425 MPa at Detail C. 1) Transverse attachment 2) Transverse attachment w. gradient 3) Supported transverse attachment 5) Complex structure Detail A fatigue life N P 304,800 382,000 437,300 521,900 rel. fatigue life 1.00 1.25 1.43 1.71 Detail B fatigue life N P 371,200 457,800 524,700 538,000 rel. fatigue life 1.00 1.23 1.41 1.45 Detail C fatigue life N P 329,100 416,600 491,300 529,600 rel. fatigue life 1.00 1.27 1.49 1.61 Table 6 : Computed fatigue life N p for the same structural HSS σ s = 176 MPa at three sloped configurations. The influences of both the layout and the flank angle is also directly included in the crack propagation simulation on the basis of the same structural HSS  s , see Tab. 1 and Tab. 6, but not in the fatigue assessment using this type of stress. Due to the flatter flank angle at Detail B and C, the absolute fatigue life is increased by about 25% and 11%, respectively. This agrees with the assessment being based on the integrated M k factor. The relative life of Detail A to C does not rise as much as for the vertically supported transverse attachment (3) because the apparent plate thickness is less effective due to the sloped layout. The different influences are suppressed at the complex structure (5) and nearly same absolute fatigue life is achieved. However, the increase of the relative life is rather different because of the sloped layout. C ONCLUSIONS AND OUTLOOK he paper presents crack propagation simulations which were performed for different welded geometries – from a transverse attachment up to a complex structure. The determined fatigue lives were compared assuming equal structural HSS and alternatively effective notch stress in all variants. The complex structures showed longer fatigue life due to a higher stress concentration, resulting in changed stress distribution along the crack path. The following conclusion can be drawn: - Longer crack propagation phase observed in experiments of complex structures can be found also in numerical crack propagation simulation; T