Fatigue Behaviour of Friction Stir Welded Steel Joints

Abstract

The development and application of friction stir welding (FSW) technology in steel structures in the shipbuilding industry provide an effective tool of achieving superior joint integrity especially where reliability and damage tolerance are of major concerns. Since the shipbuilding components are inevitably subjected to dynamic or cyclic stresses in services, the fatigue properties of the friction stir welded joints must be properly evaluated to ensure the safety and longevity. This research intends to fulfill a clear knowledge gap that exists nowadays and, as such, it is dedicated to the study of welded steel shipbuilding joints in GL-A36 steel, with 4 mm thick. The fatigue resistance of base material and four plates in as-welded condition (using several different parameters, tools and pre-welding conditions) were investigated. The joints culminate globally with defect-free welds, from which tensile, microhardness, and fatigue analyses were performed. The fatigue tests were carried out with a constant amplitude loading, a stress ratio of R=0.1 and frequency between 100 and 120 Hz. The experimental results show the quality of the welding process applied to steel GL-A36 which is reflected in the mechanical properties of joints tested.