The intense temperature fields caused by heat sources in welding frequently lead to distortions and residual stresses in the finished product. Welding distortion is a particular problem in fabricating thin plate structures such as ships. Based on pioneering research by the authors, Control of Welding Distortion in Thin-Plate Fabrication reviews distortion test results from trials and shows how outcomes can be modeled computationally. The book provides readers with an understanding of distortion influences and the means to develop distortion-reducing strategies. The book is structured as an integrated treatment. It opens by reviewing the development of computational welding mechanics approaches to distortion. Following chapters describe the industrial context of stiffened plate fabrication and further chapters provide overviews of distortion mechanics and the modeling approach. A chapter on full-scale welding trials is followed by three chapters that develop modeling strategies through thermal process and thermo-mechanical simulations, based on finite-element analysis. Simplified models are a particular feature of these chapters. A final sequence of chapters explores the simulation of welding distortion in butt welding of thin plates and fillet welding of stiffened plate structures, and shows how these models can be used to optimize design and fabrication methods to control distortion. Control of Welding Distortion in Thin-Plate Fabrication is a comprehensive resource for metal fabricators, engineering companies, welders and welding companies, and practicing engineers and academics with an interest in welding mechanics. Allows practitioners in the field to minimize distortion during the welding of thin plates Provides computational tools that can give insight into the effects of welding and fabrication procedures Demonstrates how welding distortion in thin plate fabrications can be minimized through design

Residual stresses introduced during fabrication (particularly by welding processes) are often a significant concern in the structural integrity of pressure vessels and piping; yet they are rarely treated explicitly in design, and unrealistically conservative assumptions regarding their distribution

As a fabrication technology, welding presents a number of technical challenges to the designer, manufacturer, and end-user of the welded structures. Both weld residual stress and distortion can significantly impair the performance and reliability of the welded structures. They must be properly dealt with during design, fabrication, and in-service use of the welded structures. There have been many significant and exciting developments on the subject in the past ten to fifteen years. Measurement techniques have been improved significantly. More importantly, the development of computational welding mechanics methods has been phenomenal. The progresses in the last decade or so have not only greatly expanded our fundamental understanding of the processes and mechanisms of residual stress and distortion during welding, but also have provided powerful tools to quantitatively determine the detailed residual stress and distortion information for a given welded structure. New techniques for effective residual stress and distortion mitigations and controls have also been applied in different industry sectors. Processes and Mechanisms of Welding Residual Stress and Distortion provides a comprehensive summary on the developments in the subject. It outlines theoretical treatments on heat transfer, solid mechanics and materials behavior that are essential for understanding and determining the welding residual stress and distortion. The approaches for computational methods and analysis methodology are described so that non specialists can follow them. There are chapters devoted to the discussion of various techniques for control and mitigation of residual stress and distortion, and residual stress and distortion results for various typical welded structures are provided. The second half of the book looks at case studies and practical solutions and provides insights into the techniques, challenges, limitations and future trends of each application. This book will not only be useful for advanced analysis of the subject, but also provide sufficient examples and practical solutions for welding engineers. With a panel of leading experts this authoritative book will be a valuable resource for welding engineers and designers as well as academics working in the fields of structural and mechanical engineering.

Welding is a cost-effective and flexible method of fabricating large structures, but drawbacks such as residual stress, distortion and buckling must be overcome in order to optimize structural performance. Minimization of welding distortion and buckling provides a systematic overview of the methods of minimizing distortion and buckling in welded structures. Following an introductory chapter, part one focuses on understanding welding stress and distortion, with chapters on such topics as computational welding mechanics, modelling the effect of phase transformations on welding stress and distortion and using computationally efficient reduced-solution methods to understand welding distortion. Part two covers different methods of minimizing welding distortion. Chapters discuss methods such as differential heating for minimizing distortion in welded stiffeners, dynamic thermal tensioning, reverse-side heating and ways of minimizing buckling such as weld cooling and hybrid laser arc welding. With its distinguished editor and international team of contributors, Minimization of welding distortion and buckling is an essential reference for all welders and engineers involved in fabrication of metal end-products, as well as those in industry and academia with a research interest in the area. Provides a systematic overview of the methods of minimizing distortion and buckling in welded structures Focuses on understanding welding stress and distortion featuring computational welding mechanics and modelling the effect of phase transformations Explores different methods of minimizing welding distortion discussing differential heating and dynamic thermal tensioning