Stress Intensity Factor Expression for Welded Butt Joint with Undercut and Inclined Lack of Penetration Defects considering the Effect of Joint Shape

In this paper, the stress intensity factor (SIF) expression for defected butt welds containing undercut and inclined lack of penetration (LOP) subject to far-field tensile stress is derived. Some of the standards such as ISO 5817 and BS EN 25817 have specified allowable limits for the length of the undercut and LOP defects and for the height of the weld. In addition, EN 29692 standard has determined an acceptable range for the groove angle. In this paper, the effect of these acceptable geometries on stress intensity factor (SIF) of butt welded joint is investigated through following steps: i) elastic analyses to predict crack tip stress intensity (KI, KII) and shape factors, ii) approximation of shape factors by Response Surface Method (RSM). These expressions provide design guidelines for welded butt joint containing unavoidable undercut and inclined lack of penetration (LOP) defects.