Numerical analysis and discussion on the hot-spot stress concept applied to welded tubular KT joints

Nominal stresses have been used for a long time the assessment of fatigue resistance welded joints, however, this approach has strong limitations since definition nominal stress may be subjective complex details and/or loading. On other hand, hot-spot proposed to overcome these considering structural geometrical discontinuities. However, methods also present certain limitations, and study aims at evaluating available numerical analytical by DNVGL (2016) IIW (2014). The particular case an offshore tubular KT joint considered herein discretized in two planes. It studied numerically using ABAQUS software coupled with extrapolation described (2014) (2016). influence weld geometry evaluated. In addition method, derived from combination Efthymiou solutions concentration factor method superposition stresses. models according found more conservative when compared mesh-size (2016), both modelling without or weld. For cord, mean values normalized difference index obtained all braces together, as result comparing results solutions, are lower, cord.