04/11/2014

Welding Calculations

Welding Calculations
Design Rules for calculating the strength of butt and fillet welded joints subject to
Direct, Bending and Torsional loadings. Plus guidance on calculating centroids and
second moment of area.
Just touch the F and B labels with the mouse pointer, don't click them.
Return To Main Menu
Basics

A basic introduction into stress / strain relationships & weld

design.
T Fillet Weld

Formula for calculating the stresses in a fillet weld.

Lap Fillet Weld

Formula for calculating the stresses in lap fillet welds subject to

shear.
Cantilever

Fillet welded cantilever subject to bending and shear

Lap Joint Subject To Torsion

Fillet welded lap subject to Torsion and shear

Rectangular Block Subject To Torsion

Rectangular and fillet welded and subject to Torsion

T Butt Weld Subject To Torsion

Full Penetration T Butt welded Cantilever subject to Torsion

Lap Joint Subject To Bending and Shear

This calculation method is one I came up with. Unfortunately I

couldn't find a similar joint in any technical reference to verify
it.

Back Ground Information

Useful revision and helpful for understanding some of the above

http://www.gowelding.com/calcs/calc.htm

1/2

04/11/2014

Welding Calculations

calculations.
Calculating Volume Using Solids Of Revolution

I came across this method when I was trying to calculate the

volume of a dished head on a pressure vessel and found it useful
to know.
Bibliography

Sources of my information and some useful references.

Next Page
Restore Side Frame
Page last updated 11 February 2001

http://www.gowelding.com/calcs/calc.htm

2/2

04/11/2014

Calcs Page 1

Welding Calculations

http://www.gowelding.com/calcs/c1.html

1/3

04/11/2014

http://www.gowelding.com/calcs/c1.html

Calcs Page 1

2/3

04/11/2014

Calcs Page 1

For more information on Mohrs Circle got to efunda.com

Next Page Menu Page

http://www.gowelding.com/calcs/c1.html

3/3

04/11/2014

Welding Calculations page 2

T Fillet Welds

http://www.gowelding.com/calcs/c2.html

1/3

04/11/2014

http://www.gowelding.com/calcs/c2.html

Welding Calculations page 2

2/3

04/11/2014

Welding Calculations Pge 3

Lap Joint
Weld subject to longitudinal shear only

http://www.gowelding.com/calcs/c3.html

1/2

04/11/2014

Welding Calculations Pge 3

Design of Welded Lap Joints, a pdf information file from the Lincoln Arc Foundation

Next Page Menu Page

http://www.gowelding.com/calcs/c3.html

2/2

04/11/2014

Welding Calculations Page 4

Cantilever
Welds Subject to both bending and shear

http://www.gowelding.com/calcs/c4.html

1/2

04/11/2014

Welding Calculations Page 4

Next Page Menu Page

http://www.gowelding.com/calcs/c4.html

2/2

04/11/2014

Welding Calculations Page 5

Lap Joint Subject To Torsion

Welds Subject to both bending and shear

http://www.gowelding.com/calcs/c5.html

1/4

04/11/2014

http://www.gowelding.com/calcs/c5.html

Welding Calculations Page 5

2/4

04/11/2014

http://www.gowelding.com/calcs/c5.html

Welding Calculations Page 5

3/4

04/11/2014

Welding Calculations Page 6

Rectangular Block Subject To Torsion

In this case Torsion is the same as an applied moment

http://www.gowelding.com/calcs/c6.html

1/4

04/11/2014

http://www.gowelding.com/calcs/c6.html

Welding Calculations Page 6

2/4

04/11/2014

http://www.gowelding.com/calcs/c6.html

Welding Calculations Page 6

3/4

04/11/2014

Welding Calculations Page 7

T Butt Weld Subject To Torsion

http://www.gowelding.com/calcs/c7.html

1/2

04/11/2014

Welding Calculations Page 7

Next Page Menu Page

http://www.gowelding.com/calcs/c7.html

2/2

04/11/2014

Welding Calculations Page 9

Lap Joint Subject To Bending and Shear

This is a lap joint with an offset. I could not find a calculation for this in any reference so I put this
together. I have assumed that there will be a vertical shear force caused by the offset load creating a
moment about the mid point between the welds (marked with the red dot), as well as a horizontal
shear force.

http://www.gowelding.com/calcs/c9.html

1/2

Dyson's 90 Fillet Lap Weld From Theory Of Welds Release 2

Release 2 corrects the bad sttement of the normal stress on Y plane in release 1, since there are two welds

u := 260 MPa

yield strength of the base metal

Theory

greek letters refer to stresses on throat plane

all stresses are assumed at factored level
stresses, even in the vertical and horizontal planes determined as for a throat width dimension
from tensorial theory...

( )

n , tI :=

tI + n
2

normal to throat's plane

n stress in vertical Face (from Horizontal Load)

( )

I n , t I :=

tI n
2

perpendicular to edge
in respective plane

( )

II tII := tII
parallel to edge in
respective plane

n,

t I y t II determined on a throat width but in the vertical and horizontal faces of the fillet weld

co n , tI , tII :=

( )

n , tI

co n , tI , tII u

+ 1.8 I n , tI

( )

2
+ II t II

( )

tension of comparison

the check the weld

With this theory any fillet weld can be checked (but sometimes experimental reductions are applied).
Sole requirement of the theory is the weld metal be at least as strong as the base metal.

Dyson's Lap Weld

P := 250 kN

factored horizontal load being met

L := 20 cm

distance between vertical faces of the fillet welds

t 1 := 1 cm

thickness of the top plate

a1 := 6 mm

throat of the top fillet weld

effective length of the top fillet weld (add 2 a1 to this length to get the physical one)

b1 := 20 cm

t 2 := 1 cm

thickness of the bottom plate

a2 := 6 mm

throat of the bottom fillet weld

effective length of the bottom fillet weld (add 2 a2 to this length to get the physical one)

b2 := 20 cm

For generality, I won't assume the legs of the welds equal the thicknesses of the plates.
Also, for the acting pair I will count the horizontal forces centered on the respective
plates, this being conservative in giving bigger initial and then equilibrating moment.
Then...

Stresses on the Top Fillet Weld (XY axes)

P
ntop :=

a1 b1
a1 b1 + a2 b2
b1 a1

t I_top :=

stress on vertical plane from horizontal force (share of load since there are two
welds) meeting the horizontal force (assumption)

t1+t2
2
L

b1 a1

t II_top := 0 MPa

tangential stress in vertical plane from vertical force as derived from pair

no tangential stress parallel to the edge of the fillets

since no force

Stresses on the Bottom Fillet Weld (XY axes)

P
nbottom :=

a2 b2
a1 b1 + a2 b2
b2 a2

t I_bottom :=

stress on vertical plane from horizontal force (share of load since there are two
welds) meeting the horizontal force (assumption)

t1+t2
2
L

tangential stress in vertical plane from vertical force as derived from pair

b2 a2

t II_bottom := 0 MPa

no tangential stress parallel to the edge of the fillets

since no force

Ratios to Ultimate Strength of Top and Bottom Fillet Welds

co ntop , t I_top , t II_top

u

= 0.46

co nbottom , tI_bottom , tII_bottom

u

must be less than or at most equal to 1 for OK

= 0.46

must be less than or at most equal to 1 for OK

04/11/2014

Welding Calculations pge 10

Back Ground Information

http://www.gowelding.com/calcs/c10.html

1/2

04/11/2014

Welding Calculations pge 10

Next Page Menu Page

http://www.gowelding.com/calcs/c10.html

2/2

04/11/2014

Welding Calculations Page 12

Bibliography
J.G.Hicks
Welded Joint Design Second Edition Abington Publishing 1997
Welded Joint Design Third Edition
Abington Publishing 1999
Welding In The World Volume 14 No 5/6 1976
(Design Rules For Welded Connexions In Steel Subject to static loading)
Warren C Young
ROARKS Formulas for stress & Strain 6th edition McGraw Hill
The Steel Construction Institute
Steel Designers Manual Fifth Edition Blackwell Scientific
G.H.Ryder
Strength Of Materials

Macmillan

The Institute of Welding

Handbook For Welding Design Volume 1 Pitman
Procedure Handbook 13th Edition
The James F. Lincoln Arc Foundation.
The best book is the Procedure Handbook, it covers a wide range of welding topics including
calculations. Its a must for any one seriously interested in welding. It cost 16 Inc. Postage in 1999,
its available from :The James F. Lincoln Arc Foundation.
Mansfield Road. Aston,
Sheffield. S26 2BS
ENGLAND. Tel 0114 287 2401
Anybody seriously interested in engineering calculations should consider a copy of ROARKS
Formulas for stress & Strain, its available from most decent book shops for around 20.
I would also recommend the J.G.Hicks book, it covers the calculation requirements for the European
Welding Engineer syllabus. Its available from Abingdon Publishing, Abington Hall, Cambridge,
England.
The Steel Designers Manual is another good book covering a wide range of structural engineering
topics
Menu Page

http://www.gowelding.com/calcs/bib.html

1/1