EVALUATION OF THE BEHAVIOR OF WELDED STRUCTURES UNDER LOW-CYCLE FATIGUE LOADING

Abstract

Welded structures are exposed to constant variable loads during their exploitation in real conditions. A variable load affects the integrity and life of a welded structure; therefore, it is of practical importance to understand fatigue behavior, especially the behavior of welded structures under the impact of low-cycle fatigue. The effect of low-cycle fatigue is very prevalent in structures and an assessment of cyclic loading of a material entails modifications of its properties and characteristics related to the dependence of stress and strain. Since the stress-strain response during low-cycle fatigue is in the form of a hysteresis loop, this paper presents the application of one of the two most common relations for testing resistance to low-cycle fatigue, the Ramberg-Osgood relation, which is used to evaluate the behavior of a material, in this case a high-strength low-alloy steel welded joint.