Plastic-Elastic strains in two-dimensional sections of partial-penetration fillet welds

Abstract

The photoelastic coating technique was used to study plastic strains at the orthogonal intersections of plates, formed by welding two side plates, without weld preparation, to a main plate. Models were cut from this weldment, perpendicularly to the planes of the plates. These models were loaded by tension and pure bending applied to the side plates. Although yielding starts at the weld toes, it remains constrained there due to the greater strength of the heat-affected zone. Plastic collapse occurs in the ‘parent’ plate. This phenomenon is due to the heat affected zone, not due to the notch formed by the weld.