Effect of plate width on the growth and coalescence of fatigue cracks in plate-to-plate welded T-joints

The effect of plate width on the initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks in plate-to-plate T-joints with loading transverse attachment plates and flat fillet-like weld profiles was investigated in a series of constant amplitude fatigue tests. There was no observable effect of plate width on initiation life, propagating life, or total fatigue life, but plate width had a significant effect on crack shape development and crack growth rates. More cracks initiated along the weld toes of wider joints. As a result, the aspect ratios of dominant surface cracks were lower in wider joints, and the dominant surface cracks propagated faster through the thickness of wider base plates. However, there was a greater propensity for edge cracking in narrower specimens because fatigue cracks initiated closer to the free edges of such joints. This offset the faster growth of dominant surface cracks in wider joints so that there was no net effect of plate width on propagation life. A multiple crack linear elastic fracture mechanics model successfully simulated these differences in crack shape development behavior.