ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a new approach to the study of the load-carrying capacity of a weld joint. It is a quantitative method that permits the design and production of weldments that are more efficient in terms of cost, weight, and reliability. In regard to the geometery of the weldment, emphasis is placed on relationships between the welding variables and the two important size factors: the size of the bead or fillet and the depth of penetration. The type, mechanical plus thermal, contains both the oldest and the newest of the welding processes. In designing an arc-welded butt joint, a good criterion to begin with is a weld joint that has a load-carrying capacity equal to that of the plate. The size and load capacity of fillet welds can be analyzed in much the same manner as previously used for the butt joint. The fillet size can be expressed as a function of the welding variables by making a mass balance.
