Effect of welding conditions on residual stresses due to butt welds

Abstract

Fusion welding is a joining process in which the coalescence of metals is accomplished by fusion. Owing to localized heating by the welding process and subsequent rapid cooling, residual stresses can arise in the weld itself and in the base metal. Residual stresses attributed to welding pose significant problems in the accurate fabrication of structures because those stresses heavily induce brittle fracturing and degrade the buckling strength of welded structures. Therefore, estimating the magnitude and distribution of welding residual stresses and characterizing the effects of certain welding conditions on the residual stresses are deemed necessary. In this work, we predict the residual stresses during one-pass arc welding in a steel plate using ansys finite element techniques. The effects of travel speed, specimen size, external mechanical constraints and preheating on residual stresses are also discussed.