Stress concentration factor modelling based on weld geometry data collection for fatigue design and weld quality control

Welding is a widely used process in industry and is also extensively studied in various aspects, particularly stress concentration due to the geometry of the weld. Several studies have been conducted to provide the industry with a representative model to evaluate the service life of a welded assembly. However, despite the representativeness of these models, their uncertainty remains significant leading to a wide dispersion in the predicted service life when propagated.The objective of this article is to present the experimental approach implemented to constitute a relevant sample of welds, for which several geometric characteristics are measured, including a 3D scan to evaluate the stress concentration factor by finite element analysis. All these measurements and evaluations are carried out along the entire length of each weld. A regression analysis of all collected data is then performed to identify an explicit model to estimate the stress concentration factor with acceptable accuracy based on the geometry of the weld.