Residual Stress Reduction and Fatigue Strength Improvement by Controlling Welding Pass Sequences

The effects of residual stress on fatigue strength at a weld toe in a multi-pass fillet weld joint were evaluated. The residual stresses in the weld joints were varied by controlling the sequence of welding passes. The residual stress at the weld toe was 80 MPa in the specimen whose last welding pass was on the main plate side, but it was 170 MPa in the specimen whose last pass was on the attachment side. The fatigue strength was nearly the same at high stress amplitude for both specimens, but the fatigue strength of the specimen whose last weld pass on the main plate was higher than that of the other specimen at low stress amplitude. This difference is due to the magnitude of the initial residual stress and the relaxation of the residual stress under fatigue cycling. The effects of the residual stress were shown in a modified Goodman diagram, in which residual stress is treated as a mean stress. [S0094-4289(00)01701-1]