Numerical Simulation of Clad Steel Plates Joined by a Multi-pass Welding Process Based on Element Birth and Death Technique: A Case Study

In the present study, 3D-FE modeling and computation of a multi-pass shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) of a stainless clad steel plate was performed. During the welding process, thermal cycling causes a non-uniform heating and cooling of the welded specimen, which leads to the development of residual stresses in the structure and its distortion. In order to predict the residual stresses in the welded structures, a non-coupled thermomechanical modeling was employed using Abaqus® FE code. The outcome reveals that the large residual stresses are developed not only around the weld bead (WB) and the heat-affected zone (HAZ), but also at the interface of the base material where a discontinuity in the shear stress is found. The residual shear stresses generated at the interface can consequently lead to the development of micro-cracks, which could reduce the fatigue life of the structure in service.