Example Problems on Welded-connections

1)Design the lap welded joint between two flat bars as shown below used as a tension
member using fillet-welds for the full tension load capacity of bars. Bars are made of A-36
steel ( Fy  250 MPa ) , and welding is made using E-60 electrodes ( Fuw  415 MPa ) .

Pa  ? 190 mm Pa  ?
150 mm

15 mm
Pa  ? 12 mm Pa  ?

llap  150 mm

Solution
-Allowable tension load capacity of bars,

(0.6Fy )  Ap1  (0.6  250)  (150  15)  337.5  103 N

Pa  
(0.6Fy )  Ap2  (0.6  250)  (190  12)  342  10 N
3

 Pjo int  337.5 kN

-minimum and maximum size of fillet welds for t  15 mm (AISC),
amin  6 mm ( from table)
-and, amax  (t  1.6 mm)  15  1.6  13.4 mm
-take  a  13 mm
-required length of fillet-weld is obtained by equating joint-load to the shear resistance of
fillet-weld as,
Pjo int  (0.3Fuw )  (t e  l w )
Pjo int
 lw 
(0.3Fuw )  te
-using equal-leg fillet weld (t e  0.707 a ) , required length of fillet-weld is obtained as
Pjo int 337.5  10 3
lw    294.9 mm --take
(0.3Fuw )  (0.707 a ) (0.3  415)  (0.707  13)
l w  300 mm
-if longitudinal fillet weld is used, lap length of joint,
llap  l w / 2  300 / 2  150 mm  bbar  150mm
-therefore, use two-150mm long with 13mm equal-leg fillet weld applied on each side of
plate

2) Design the fillet-welds to develop the full tension load capacity of a member made of
single angle, L  127  76  9.5 connected to gusset-plate through the longer leg of angle

1
as shown below minimizing the effect of eccentricity of joint load that avoid twisting of
welds in joint. Assume the gusset-plate does not govern. Angle section is made of A-50
steel ( Fy  345 MPa) , and welding is made using E-70 electrodes ( Fu  485 MPa ) .
w

Solution
-For L-127x76x9.5 section:  A  1845 mm 2 , y  43.2 mm & t angle  9.5 mm

F2 L-127x76x9.5

F1 lw2
l w1 Ta  ? d  127 mm
d 2 lw3

a y  43.2 mm
F3

-Allowable tension load capacity of angle section,


Ta  (0.6 Fy )  Ag  (0.6  345)  1845  381.915  103 N
 Pjo int  381.915 kN
-minimum and maximum size of fillet welds for t  9.5 mm (AISC),
amin  5 mm ( from table) &
amax  (t  1.6 mm)  9.5  1.6  7.9 mm
-take  a  6 mm
-required length of equal-leg fillet-weld is obtained as
Pjo int 381.915  103
lw    618.8 mm
(0.3Fuw )  (0.707a ) (0.3  485)  (0.707  6)
-Designing joint that avoid twisting of welds, the resultant of the resistances of fillet weld
at the joint must pass through the centroid of angle section.
-resistance of vertical fillet weld (l w1  127 mm) ,
F1  (0.3Fuw )  (0.707a  l w1 )  (0.3  485)  (0.707  6  127)  78.3858  103 N  78.385
-from static equilibrium of internal and external forces taking summation of moment
about point ‘a’ equal to zero ( M a  0) ,
F1  d 2  F2  d  Pjo int  y  0
-then, the shear resistance of top horizontal fillet weld is obtained as
 F2  Pjo int  y d  F1 2  381.915  43.2 127  78.3858 2  90.7183 kN
-and, using the other static equilibrium, summation of forces equal to zero (  F  0) ,
the shear resistance of bottom horizontal fillet weld is obtained as
F3  Pjo int  F1  F2  381.915  78.3858  90.7183  212.8109 kN
-therefore, the required length of top and bottom horizontal fillet welds are obtained by
equating F2 and F3 with the respective shear resistance of fillet-welds as,

2
 F2 90.7183  10 3
lw2    147 mm --take
(0.3Fuw )  (0.707 a ) (0.3  485)  (0.707  6)
l w 2  150 mm
F3 212.8109  103
-and, l w3    345 mm
(0.3Fuw )  (0.707a ) (0.3  485)  (0.707  6)
--take l w 2  345 mm

3) The welded plate-girder as shown below is subjected to a maximum shear force,

Vmax  2140 kN under service load on girder. Determine the size of continuous fillet-
weld required to connect the flange-plate to the web-plate of plate-girder if plates are
made of A-36 steel ( Fy  250 MPa ) , and welding is made using E-70 electrodes
( Fuw  485 MPa) .
405 mm

25 mm

1220 mm 1270 mm
12.5 mm

25 mm
405 mm

Solution
-minimum and maximum size of fillet welds for t  25 mm (AISC),
amin  8 mm ( from table) & amax  No lim it for tee  jo int

-moment of inertia of plate-girder section,

405  1270 3 392.5  12203
Ix    9739.5646  106 mm 4
12 12
-then, shear-flow between flange-plate and web-plate of plate-girder section,

V .Q V . ( Af . y ) 2140  103  ( 25  405  622.5)

q    1384.8688 N mm
Ix Ix 9739.5646  10 6
-strength of 1mm equal-leg fillet-weld per 1mm length,
Ps  0.3FUW . (0.707a ) . lW  0.3  485  (0.707  1)  1  102.8685 N
-therefore, size of fillet-weld required,
q 1384.8688
a ( req.)    6.73 mm  a min --take
2 Ps 2  102.8685
a ( req.)  amin  8 mm

3
 -Use: continuous fillet-weld of size a  8 mm on both sides

4) Determine the required length of 6mm size of intermittent fillet-welds 300mm on

centers required to connect the cover-plate ( PL  405  19 mm) to flange of
W  530  92 section for compound beam section as shown below. The maximum shear
force developed in the beam, Vmax  535 kN under the service load on the beam. W-
section and cover-plates are made of A-36 steel ( Fy  250 MPa ) , and welding is made
using E-70 electrodes (PLFu 405
mm  19mm
w
485 MPa) .

19 mm lw  ?
300 mm c / c
d  533 mm
W-530x92 lw  ?
300 mm c / c
19 mm
l  ?
PL  405mm  19mm w a  6 mm
Solution
-For W-530x92 section:  I x0  554  106 mm 4 , d  533 mm & t f  15.6 mm

-minimum and maximum size of fillet welds for t  15.6 mm (AISC),

amin  6 mm ( from table) &
amax  (t  1.6 mm)  15.6  1.6  14 mm
-therefore,  a ( given)  6 mm b / n amin & amax   ok!
-moment of inertia of compound section,

 405  193 
I x  554  106  2     2   405  19   276 2  1726.3486  106 mm 4
 12 
-then, shear-flow between cover-plate and flange of W-section,
V .Q V . ( Af . y ) 535  10 3  (19  405  276)
q    658.177 N mm
Ix Ix 1726.3486  10 6
-strength of 6mm equal-leg fillet-weld per 1mm length,
Ps  0.3FUW . (0.707a ) . lW  0.3  485  (0.707  6)  1  617.211 N
-therefore, the required length of intermittent fillet-weld 300mm c/c,
q . sw 658.177  300
lw    159.9 mm  s w ( given)  300 mm
2 Ps 2  617.211
-Use: 6mm intermittent fillet-weld of length 160mm on both side 300mm c/c

5) For the bracket connection with weld pattern as shown below, determine the required
size of a fillet-weld if welding is made using E-70 electrodes ( Fu  485 MPa ) . Assume
w

the plate does not govern or control the design.

P  65 kN
P  65 kN
e  ( 200  x )  305 mm
150 mm 200 mm
y

A
100 mm

4
200 mm x x
y  100 mm
B t e  1 mm
45 mm x  105 mm

Solution y
-let assume throat dimension of fillet-weld, t e  1 mm
-then, effective area of fillet-weld, Aew  2  (1  150)  (1  200)  500 mm 2
-and, location of centroid of effective area of fillet-weld from right end A-B,
 ( A. y ) 2  (1  150  75)  (1  200  150)
x    105 mm
A 500
-moment of inertias of effective area of fillet-weld,
2  (150  13 ) 1  2003
I xw   2  (1  150  1002 )   3.667  106 mm 4
12 12

2  (1  1503 ) 200  13
I yw   2  (1  150  302 )   1  200  452  1.238  106 mm 4
12 12
-then, I pw  ( I xw  I yy )  (3.667  1.238)  106  4.905  106 mm 4
i) weld stress due to concentric load,
P 65  103
f y|  w   130 N mm 2
Ae 500
ii) weld stress due to torsional-moment, T  ( P. e)
where e-eccentricity of joint-load from centroid of weld area
e  200  x  200  105  305 mm
-then, tortional-moment due to joint-load,
T  ( P . e)  65  103 N  305 mm  19.825  106 N  mm
-therefore, weld stress due to moment at any bolts is obtained as,
T.y 19.825  106  100
f x||    404.2 N mm 2
I pw 4.905  106
T .x 19.825  10 6  105
f y||    424.4 N mm 2
I pw 4.905  106
-maximum resultant weld stress,
f r|  ( f x|| ) 2  ( f y|  f y|| ) 2  404.2 2  (130  424.4) 2
 f r|  686.1 N mm 2  Faw, s  0.3Fuw  145.5 N mm 2
-therefore, assumed size of fillet weld is not adequate. The assumed throat dimension is
to increased proportionally. Thus, the required throat dimension is,
f r| 686.1
t e (req.)  w  t e ( assumed)   (1mm)  4.72 mm
Fa , s 145.5
-and, the required leg dimension of fillet weld if equal fillet is used,

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 t e ( req .) 4.72
a ( req.)    6.68 mm
0.707 0.707
-therefore, use equal-leg fillet-weld of size a  7 mm

6) Check adequacy of the welded connection between bracket-plate

( PL  250  200  12 mm) and flanges of column using 7mm size of fillet-welds as shown
below if welding is made using E-80 electrodes ( Fu  552 MPa ) .
w

P  80 kN
200 mm

PL  250  200  12
250 mm x x 250 mm

a  7 mm 5 mm 5 mm

5 mm t e  5 mm

Solution
-throat dimension of fillet-weld assuming equal leg fillet-weld,
t e  0.707  a  0.707  7  5 mm
-then, effective area of fillet-weld,
Aew  2  (5  250)  2500 mm 2
-and, moment of inertia of effective area of fillet-weld,
2  (5  2503 )
I xw   13.02  10 6 mm 4
12
i) weld stress due to shear, V  80 kN
V 80  10 3
f y|  w   32 N mm 2
Ae 2500
ii) weld stress due to bending-moment, M  ( P. e) where e  200 mm
-then, bending-moment due to joint-load,
M  ( P . e)  80  10 3 N  200 mm  16  10 6 N  mm
-therefore, bolt-force due to moment at any bolts is obtained as,
M .cy 16  10 6  (250 / 2)
f x||    153.6 N mm 2
I xw 13.02  10 6
-maximum resultant weld stress,
f r|  ( f x|| ) 2  ( f y|| ) 2  153.6 2  32 2  156.9 N mm 2
 f r|  156.9 N mm 2  FaW, s  0.3Fuw  0.3  552  165.6 N mm 2
--ok!
-therefore, connection is adequate to support eccentric joint load.

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 Exercise Problems
1) Design an end connection between tension-member made of single channel section,
(C  180  22) and 12mm thick gusset-plate to develop the full tension load capacity of
member in the lap length of 150mm using fillet-welds with size limited to 8mm. Channel
section is made of A-50 steel ( Fy  345 MPa) , and welding is made using E-70
electrodes ( Fu  485 MPa ) .
w

slot weld C  180  22

Ta

150 mm

7
2) For the bracket connection with weld pattern as shown below, determine the required
size of a fillet-weld if welding is made using E-80 electrodes ( Fu  550 MPa ) .
w

Thickness of bracket plate is 10mm. If necessary redesign the connection (may be change
weld pattern).
P  40 kN
60 mm 70 mm

150 mm

t p  10 mm

3) Determine the length of fillet weld required to transfer the joint load to the column
through flange using 8mm size of fillet welds if welding is made using E-70 electrodes
( Fuw  485 MPa ) .
P  180 kN

100 mm

lw  ?

a  8 mm