Numerical Study of the Effect of the Brace Inclination on the Stress Concentration Factor for Three Different Welded Tubular Y-Joints Subjected to Deflected Bending Load

The tubular metal constructions find their applications in the following industrial sectors: metal tanks, industrial hangars, metal bridges, commercial buildings, pipelines, support for oil platforms etc. The phenomenon of stress concentration, born in the welded zones, contributes to the damage of these structure. In the literature, the semi-parametric formulas give information about the stress concentration factor value, but gives no idea about its distribution. In this study, three different Y-joints have been studied. A finite element modeling was used to show the inclination brace effect (θ = 45°, θ = 60° and θ = 90°) on the distribution of stress concentration factor SCF and on the tubular Y-joint strength under deflected bending loads.