The effect of yield strength mis-match on the fracture analysis of welded joints: slip-line field solutions for pure bending

Plane strain and plane stress slip-line solutions for single notched bendin g specimens with a central mismatched welded joint have been derived. The c rack has been located on the fusion line (interface) and at the middle of t he weld metal. 2D and 3D finite element analysis has been performed to veri fy the theoretical results and to investigate the effect of specimen thickn ess. From these solutions, the stress distribution and deformation field in the weld metal, the expressions for the yield load as well as the constrai nt state at the crack tip are determined. The resulting relations for estim ating 3D effects coincide with the test results. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.