Abstract—This paper presents an efficient FE technique using equivalent load to precisely predict welding deformations and residual stresses in butt joints. Equivalent load method is based on inherent strains which are a function of the highest temperature and degree of restrain. Nonlinear FE transient thermal analysis is performed using surface heat source model with Gaussian distribution to compute highest temperature in mild steel plates. Equivalent loads are calculated by integration of inherent strain components in MATLAB. An elastic FE analysis of weldment using these equivalent loads is performed to simulate deformation and residual stresses. Predicted distortions show a good agreement with the experimental measurements, which prove the reliability of the proposed technique.

Index Terms—Butt weld, inherent strain, FEM, residual stress.

A. Khurram is with the College of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, China (e-mail: Asifa_khuram@hotmail.com).
K. Shehzad is with the college of Shipbuilding Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, China (e-mail: khurram_1977@hotmail.com).

Cite: Asifa Khurram and Khurram Shehzad, "FE Simulation of Welding Distortion and Residual Stresses in Butt Joint Using Inherent Strain," International Journal of Applied Physics and Mathematics  vol. 2, no. 6, pp. 405-408, 2012.