A Research on Prediction and Control of Welding Distortion and Residual Stress for an All-Welded Steel Bridge

Abstract

A typical case of integral all-welded panel joints on Shanghai Minpu Second Bridge is discussed in this paper. The prediction of welding residual stresses at joints is achieved by thermal elasto finite element analysis, and the research reveals that a proper scheme of multi-layer welding craft will reduce welding distortions and residual stresses through mutual offset. The welding distortions at upper and lower chord joints (Type I) and those of the overall structural model are predicted with the distribution of residual stresses obtained. The research aims to provide a theoretical basis for the control of welding distortion, the optimization of welding craft and the constitution of optimal assembly welding craft.