The article is concerned with the development of analytical testing method related to stresses in stress concentration areas in butt welded joints with one-sided excess weld metal. The innovativeness of this research work consists in taking into consideration the shift of joint cross-section centres of inertia located in the excess weld metal area. The research led to the obtainment of formulas describing stresses in geometric heterogeneity areas triggered by tensile force and bending moment induced by the shift of the inertia centre. The formulas obtained in the research coincide with the results of stress-related numerical modelling. It was ascertained that an increase in eccentricity combined with the distance from the excess weld metal base could lead to greater stresses in the weld root area than those on the weld face side. The research involved the performance of fatigue tests in the high-cycle area of TIG butt welded joints of sheets made of aluminium alloy 1460. It was ascertained that in the specimens having the gentle toe (between the weld and the base material) the crack was initiated in the weld root, which was consistent with calculation-based forecast.

doi: 10.17729/ebis.2017.4/5