Stress intensity factor of a crack perpendicular to the welding bead in a wide plate is analyzed as a plane problem of elasticity. The function which simulates the residual stress distribution qualitatively is assumed. Crack analysis is performed by using the Muskhelishvili's stress function. Results are given in figures and table .
PRODUCTION RECENTLY welded joints are commonly used in various kinds of storage tanks, pressure vessels and structures. As a result, fatigue cracks or fracture of those structures often initiate from the welded joint during their service lives. This is probable because of the material deterioration, residual tensile stress and flaws or inclusions caused by welding. Among those factors, the effect of the residual stress to a crack ~~ndicul~ to the joint in a wide plate is studied in this paper. Though there are many data on stress intensity factors of cracks under various loading conditions, only a few treat the crack under residual stress by welding. In the present paper, the function which simulates the qualitative stress distribution by welding is assumed at first. Then the complex stress function of the crack problem under the assumed stress distribution is determined. The stress intensity factor is calculated from the obtained stress function by using a limiting procedure. In case when the additional uniform stress is remortly applied, stress intensity factor can easily be obtained by simply superposing the result derived by Irwin [l] to the present result.