Welded Connections of High-Strength Steels For The Building Industry

Abstract

The developments of steel structures aim at light and slender constructions. Therefore, high-strength steels with good welding characteristics and a high ductility, aside from higher strength, have been developed by the steel industry. With increasing strength of the steel, the loads which have to be transferred in the welded connections are also growing. In building constructions, fillet and partial penetration connections are commonly used. When using high-strength steels, it is very important to ensure strength, as well as sufficient ductility and toughness of these welded connections, in order to allow for the necessary redistribution of stresses and internal forces. The use of high-strength steels can bring significant savings in terms of material consumption, weight, transportation and fabrication costs. Beside the savings due to the reduced material consumption, advantages result from the smaller construction weight and a faster fabrication by reduction of the weld thickness. However, especially for high-strength steel grades S460 and S690, the benefit of saving of material cannot be used, dzue to the present restrictive design rules. Therefore, the aim of this research project, realized by four partners, was the development of appropriate and modern construction and design rules, as well as manufacturing principles, in order to achieve an economical use of high-strength fine grained steels. This paper presents the results of a research project, investigating the strength and ductility of fillet welded connections of high-strength steels S460 and S690, by means of experimental and numerical analyses. Experimental and numerical investigations of the load bearing capacity and safety against brittle fracture at lap joints with longitudinal fillet welds, cruciform joints with transverse fillet welds and butt joints with partial penetration double-V-groove welds of high-strength steels S460M/ML and S690Q/QL have been carried out. Numerical investigations in terms of welding simulation and measurements of residual stresses have been performed, in order to identify the local microstructure, hardness, residual stresses and strength in the weld profile. These results support the assessment of strength and ductility of welded connections. Based on the investigations, recommendations for the design of welded connections of high-strength steels, in terms of load bearing capacity and safety against brittle fracture, as well as manufacturing principles, were derived. The results of the research project thus contribute significantly to an optimized use of high-strength steel in welded constructions.