An Analytical Shear Strength Model for Load-Carrying Fillet-Welded Connections Incorporating Nonlinear Effects

Abstract

In this study, an analytical formulation of a weld throat stress model is presented for defining limit state condition of fillet-welded connections incorporating plate-to-plate contact conditions. The validity of the resulting analytical solution is verified by finite-element computation incorporating nonlinear material and nonlinear geometry effects. In addition, its effectiveness in correlating shear strengths obtained from transverse and longitudinal shear specimens has been demonstrated through the reanalysis of over 100 shear tests performed by the same authors as an early part of the same study. As a result, a unified fillet weld shear strength can be demonstrated regardless of test specimen configurations and shear loading conditions, whereas conventional shear strength equations are incapable of reconciling the differences in shear strengths between those obtained from transverse and longitudinal shear specimens. Furthermore, the present developments provide a basis for achieving a quantitative fillet weld sizing criterion for the design and construction of fillet-welded structures under complex loading conditions, for which a unified shear strength and robust weld throat stress calculation procedure are prerequisites.