Experimental and numerical study on welding temperature field by double-sided submerged arc welding for orthotropic steel deck

Abstract

Orthotropic steel deck (OSD) is susceptible to fatigue damage when subjected to repeated traffic loads, and the welding residual stress (WRS) is an important factor contributing to fatigue damage in OSD. WRS is formed by the shrinkage of the welds due to the inhomogeneous temperature field during the welds fabrication process, and thus the study of the welding temperature field is of significance for accurately predicting the WRS. As an emerging welding technology, the double-sided submerged arc welding (DSSAW) technology can generate higher welding temperature and consequently higher welding penetration rate on U rib and deck for welding thicker base metal. However, the DSSAW technology generates more complex welding temperature field compared to the traditional arc welding technology, which has not been evaluated so far. In this study, the finite element model (FEM) of OSD with U rib-to-deck (RTD) welded joints is established to simulate the welding temperature field generated by DSSAW. Moreover, the temperature field in OSD by DSSAW is measured by using the infrared thermal imager (ITI) and the industrial temperature measurement gun (TMG) to verify the FEM simulated temperature results. It is found that large surface temperature gradient and large temperature gradient along the thickness direction would be formed at the weld toe of U rib and deck, which is generally the location where the maximum WRS is distributed and where the fatigue cracks are susceptible in OSD. Compared to the inside welding, the outside welding may generate higher welding temperature, higher temperature gradient, and larger molten pool area, resulting in larger WRS in the OSD. The findings in this study can help to an in-depth understanding of the welding temperature field caused by the new DSSAW technology and support further studies on WRS.