WEIGHT-FUNCTIONS AND STRESS INTENSITY FACTORS FOR SEMIELLIPTIC CRACKSIN T-PLATE WELDED-JOINTS

Weight functions were derived for the deepest point and surface point of a semi-elliptical surface crack in T-plate joints with weld angles between 0 and 45 degrees. These weight Functions were derived from ref erence stress intensity factor solutions obtained from three-dimension al finite element calculations, and verified using stress intensity fa ctors for different non-linear stress fields and for far-field tension and bending cases. The differences between the weight function predic tions and the finite element data were less than 10%. They are suitabl e for semi-elliptical surface cracks with aspect ratios in the range 0 .05 less than or equal to a/c less than or equal to 1, together with r elative depths 0 less than or equal to a/t less than or equal to 0.6 a nd weld angles 0 less than or equal to phi less than or equal to 45 de grees.