Welded Joints

Introduction
A welded joint is a permanent joint which is obtained by the fusion of the edges of the two
parts to be joined together, with or without the application of pressure and a filler material.
The heat required for the fusion of the material may be obtained by burning of gas (in case of
gas welding) or by an electric arc (in case of electric arc welding). The latter method is
extensively used because of greater speed of welding.
Welding is extensively used in fabrication as an alternative method for casting or forging and
as a replacement for bolted and riveted joints. It is also used as a repair medium e.g. to
reunite metal at a crack, to build up a small part that has broken off such as gear tooth or to
repair a worn surface such as a bearing surface.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Welded Joints over Riveted Joints

Following are the advantages and disadvantages of welded joints over riveted joints.
Advantages
1. The welded structures are usually lighter than riveted structures. This is due to the reason,
that in welding, gussets or other connecting components are not used.
2. The welded joints provide maximum efficiency (may be 100%) which is not possible in
case of riveted joints.
3. Alterations and additions can be easily made in the existing structures.
4. As the welded structure is smooth in appearance, therefore it looks pleasing.
5. In welded connections, the tension members are not weakened as in the case of riveted
joints.
6. A welded joint has a great strength. Often a welded joint has the strength of the parent
metal itself.
7. Sometimes, the members are of such a shape (i.e. circular steel pipes) that they afford
difficulty for riveting. But they can be easily welded.
8. The welding provides very rigid joints. This is in line with the modern trend of providing
rigid frames.
9. It is possible to weld any part of a structure at any point. But riveting requires enough
clearance.
10. The process of welding takes less time than the riveting.
Disadvantages
1. Since there is an uneven heating and cooling during fabrication, therefore the members
may get distorted or additional stresses may develop.
2. It requires a highly skilled labour and supervision.
3. Since no provision is kept for expansion and contraction in the frame, therefore there is a
possibility of cracks developing in it.
4. The inspection of welding work is more difficult than riveting work.

Types of Welded Joints

Following two types of welded joints are important from the subject point of view:
1. Lap joint or fillet joint, and
2. Butt joint

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Lap Joint
The lap joint or the fillet joint is obtained by overlapping the plates and then welding the
edges of the plates. The cross-section of the fillet is approximately triangular. The fillet joints
may be 1. Single transverse fillet, 2. Double transverse fillet, and 3. Parallel fillet joints.
The fillet joints are shown in Fig. 10.2. A single transverse fillet joint has the disadvantage
that the edge of the plate which is not welded can buckle or warp out of shape.
Butt Joint
The butt joint is obtained by placing the plates edge to edge as shown in Fig. below. In butt
welds, the plate edges do not require bevelling if the thickness of plate is less than 5 mm. On
the other hand, if the plate thickness is 5 mm to 12.5 mm, the edges should be bevelled to V
or U-groove on both sides.

The butt joints may be

1. Square butt joint, 2. Single V-butt joint 3. Single U-butt joint,
4. Double V-butt joint, and 5. Double U-butt joint.
These joints are shown in Fig. above.
The other types of welded joints are corner joint, edge joint and T-joint as shown in Fig.
below.

The main considerations involved in the selection of weld type are:

1. The shape of the welded component required,
2. The thickness of the plates to be welded, and

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3. The direction of the forces applied.

Strength of Transverse Fillet Welded Joints

We have already discussed that the fillet or lap joint is obtained by overlapping the plates and
then welding the edges of the plates. The transverse fillet welds are designed for tensile
strength. Let us consider a single and double transverse fillet welds as shown in Fig. (a) and
(b) below respectively.
In order to determine the strength of the fillet joint, it is assumed that the section of fillet is a
right angled triangle ABC with hypotenuse AC making equal angles with other two sides AB
and BC. The enlarged view of the fillet is shown in Fig. below. The length of each side is
known as leg or size of the weld and the perpendicular distance of the hypotenuse from the
intersection of legs (i.e. BD) is known as throat thickness. The minimum area of the weld is
obtained at the throat BD, which is given by the product of the throat thickness and length of
weld.

Strength of Parallel Fillet Welded Joints

The parallel fillet welded joints are designed for shear strength. Consider a double parallel
fillet welded joint as shown in Fig. (a). We have already discussed in the previous article, that
the minimum area of weld or the throat area,
A = 0.707 s × l
If τ is the allowable shear stress for the weld metal, then the shear strength of the joint for
single parallel fillet weld,
P = Throat area × Allowable shear stress = 0.707 s × l × τ
and shear strength of the joint for double parallel fillet weld,
P = 2 × 0.707 × s × l × τ = 1.414 s × l × τ

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Notes: 1. If there is a combination of single transverse and double parallel fillet welds as
shown in Fig. (b), then the strength of the joint is given by the sum of strengths of single
transverse and double parallel fillet welds.
Mathematically,
P = 0.707s × l1 × σt + 1.414 s × l2 × τ
where l1 is normally the width of the plate.
2. In order to allow for starting and stopping of the bead, 12.5 mm should be added to the
length of each weld obtained by the above expression.
3. For reinforced fillet welds, the throat dimension may be taken as 0.85 t.

Example 1: A plate 100 mm wide and 10 mm thick is to be welded to another plate by means
of double parallel fillets. The plates are subjected to a static load of 80 kN. Find the length of
weld if the permissible shear stress in the weld does not exceed 55 MPa.
Solution: Given: Width = 100 mm; Thickness = 10 mm; P = 80kN = 80 × 103 N;
τ = 55MPa = 55 N/mm2
Let l =Length of weld, and s = Size of weld = Plate thickness = 10 mm ... (Given)
We know that maximum load which the plates can carry for double parallel fillet weld (P),

∴
80 × 103 = 1.414 × s × l × τ = 1.414 × 10 × l × 55 = 778 l
l = 80 × 103 / 778 = 103 mm
Adding 12.5 mm for starting and stopping of weld run, we have
l = 103 + 12.5 = 115.5 mm Ans.

Special Cases of Fillet Welded Joints

The following cases of fillet welded joints are important from the subject point of view.
1. Circular fillet weld subjected to torsion. Consider a circular rod connected to a rigid plate
by a fillet weld as shown in Fig. below.

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This shear stress occurs in a horizontal plane along a leg of the fillet weld. The maximum

∴
shear occurs on the throat of weld which is inclined at 45° to the horizontal plane.
Length of throat, t = s sin 45° = 0.707 s
and maximum shear stress,

2. Circular fillet weld subjected to bending moment. Consider a circular rod connected to a
rigid plate by a fillet weld as shown in Fig. below.

2. Long fillet weld subjected to torsion. Consider a vertical plate attached to a horizontal
plate by two identical fillet welds as shown in Fig. below.

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It may be noted that the effect of the applied torque is to rotate the vertical plate about the Z-
axis through its mid point. This rotation is resisted by shearing stresses developed between
two fillet welds and the horizontal plate. It is assumed that these horizontal shearing stresses
vary from zero at the Z-axis and maximum at the ends of the plate. This variation of shearing
stress is analogous to the variation of normal stress over the depth (l) of a beam subjected to
pure bending.

Example 2: A 50 mm diameter solid shaft is welded to a flat plate by 10 mm fillet weld as

shown in Fig. below. Find the maximum torque that the welded joint can sustain if the
maximum shear stress intensity in the weld material is not to exceed 80 MPa.
Solution: Given: d = 50mm ; s = 10mm ; τmax = 80MPa = 80N/mm2
Let T = Maximum torque that the welded joint can sustain.
We know that the maximum shear stress (τmax),

Example 3: A plate 1 m long, 60 mm thick is welded to another plate at right angles to each
other by 15 mm fillet weld, as shown in Fig. below. Find the maximum torque that the welded

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joint can sustain if the permissible shear stress intensity in the weld material is not to exceed
80 MPa.
Solution: Given: l = 1m = 1000mm; Thickness = 60mm; s = 15mm; τmax = 80 MPa =
80N/mm2
Let T = Maximum torque that the welded joint can sustain.
We know that the maximum shear stress (τmax),

Strength of Butt Joints

The butt joints are designed for tension or compression. Consider a single V-butt joint as
shown in Fig. (a) below.

In case of butt joint, the length of leg or size of weld is equal to the throat thickness which is

∴ Tensile strength of the butt joint (single-V or square butt joint),

equal to thickness of plates.

P = t × l × σt
where l = Length of weld. It is generally equal to the width of plate.
and tensile strength for double-V butt joint as shown in Fig. (b) above is given by
P = (t1 + t2) l × σt
where t1 = Throat thickness at the top, and
t2 = Throat thickness at the bottom.
It may be noted that size of the weld should be greater than the thickness of the plate, but it
may be less. The following table shows recommended minimum size of the welds.

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Stresses for Welded Joints
The stresses in welded joints are difficult to determine because of the variable and
unpredictable parameters like homogenuity of the weld metal, thermal stresses in the welds,
changes of physical properties due to high rate of cooling etc. The stresses are obtained, on
the following assumptions:
1. The load is distributed uniformly along the entire length of the weld, and
2. The stress is spread uniformly over its effective section.
The following table shows the stresses for welded joints for joining ferrous metals with mild
steel electrode under steady and fatigue or reversed load.

Stress Concentration Factor for Welded Joints

The reinforcement provided to the weld produces stress concentration at the junction of the
weld and the parent metal. When the parts are subjected to fatigue loading, the stress
concentration factor as given in the following table should be taken into account.

Example 4: A plate 100 mm wide and 12.5 mm thick is to be welded to another plate by
means of parallel fillet welds. The plates are subjected to a load of 50 kN. Find the length of
the weld so that the maximum stress does not exceed 56 MPa. Consider the joint first under
static loading and then under fatigue loading.
Solution: Given: Width = 100mm; Thickness = 12.5mm; P = 50kN = 50 × 103N;
τ = 56MPa = 56N/mm2
Length of weld for static loading
Let l = Length of weld, and s = Size of weld = Plate thickness = 12.5 mm ... (Given)
We know that the maximum load which the plates can carry for double parallel fillet welds
(P),

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 50 × 103 =1.414 s × l × τ

∴
= 1.414 × 12.5 × l × 56 = 990 l
l = 50 × 103 / 990 = 50.5mm
Adding 12.5 mm for starting and stopping of weld run, we have
l = 50.5 + 12.5 = 63mm Ans.
Length of weld for fatigue loading
From Table above, we find that the stress concentration factor for parallel fillet welding is

∴
2.7.
Permissible shear stress,
τ = 56 / 2.7 = 20.74 N/mm2
We know that the maximum load which the plates can carry for double parallel fillet welds
(P),

∴
50 × 103 = 1.414 s × l × τ = 1.414 × 12.5 × l × 20.74 = 367 l
l = 50 × 103 / 367 = 136.2 mm
Adding 12.5 for starting and stopping of weld run, we have
l = 136.2 + 12.5 = 148.7 mm Ans.

Example 5: A plate 75 mm wide and 12.5 mm thick is joined with another plate by a single
transverse weld and a double parallel fillet weld as shown in Fig. below. The maximum
tensile and shear stresses are 70 MPa and 56 MPa respectively. Find the length of each
parallel fillet weld, if the joint is subjected to both static and fatigue loading.

Solution: Given: Width = 75 mm; Thickness = 12.5 mm; σ τ = 70 MPa = 70 N/mm2; τ = 56

MPa = 56N/mm2.
The effective length of weld (l1) for the transverse weld may be obtained by subtracting 12.5

∴ l1 = 75 – 12.5 = 62.5 mm
mm from the width of the plate.

Length of each parallel fillet for static loading

Let l2 = Length of each parallel fillet.
We know that the maximum load which the plate can carry is
P = Area × Stress = 75 × 12.5 × 70 = 65 625 N
Load carried by single transverse weld,
P1 = 0.707 s × l1 × σt = 0.707 × 12.5 × 62.5 × 70 = 38 664 N
and the load carried by double parallel fillet weld,

∴ Load carried by the joint (P),

P2 = 1.414 s × l2 × τ = 1.414 × 12.5 × l2 × 56 = 990 l2 N

65 625 = P1 + P2 = 38 664 + 990 l2 or l2 = 27.2 mm

Adding 12.5 mm for starting and stopping of weld run, we have
l2 = 27.2 + 12.5 = 39.7 say 40 mm Ans.

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Length of each parallel fillet for fatigue loading
From Table below, we find that the stress concentration factor for transverse welds is 1.5 and

∴
for parallel fillet welds is 2.7.
Permissible tensile stress,
σt = 70 / 1.5 = 46.7 N/mm2
and permissible shear stress,
τ = 56 / 2.7 = 20.74 N/mm2
Load carried by single transverse weld,
P1 = 0.707 s × l1 × σt = 0.707 × 12.5 × 62.5 × 46.7 = 25 795 N
and load carried by double parallel fillet weld,

∴
P2 = 1.414 s × l2 × τ = 1.414 × 12.5 l2 × 20.74 = 366 l2 N
Load carried by the joint (P),
65 625 = P1 + P2 = 25 795 + 366 l2 or l2 = 108.8 mm
Adding 12.5 mm for starting and stopping of weld run, we have
l2 = 108.8 + 12.5 = 121.3 mm Ans.

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