Assessment of welded structures by a structural multiaxial fatigue approach

A structural multiaxial computing method for the fatigue assessment of welded structures is presented. This approach is based on the use of a local equivalent stress, or design stress, derived from the shear stress and the concomitant hydrostatic pressure previously proposed by Dang Van. Associated with a specific shell finite element meshing methodology, the method is successfully used to assess the fatigue resistance of welded automotive structures. The approach also allows the role of the welding process upon the fatigue behaviour to be addressed by a better description of the influence of the local residual stress state.