Fatigue Analysis of a Thin Cover Plate Structure in a Light Craft

Experimental fatigue analysis of a fillet-welded cover plate detail (‘floating frame’) of small and light craft was carried out at Kiel University of Applied Sciences. The structural detail is an intersection of longitudinal deck stiffener and transverse web frame with a plate thickness of 3.5mm and a doubling length of 100mm. Manual gas metal arc welding was used for the production of the 46mm long transverse fillet welds. The load-controlled constant amplitude fatigue tests at stress ratio R = 0 were supported by 3D finite-element analysis based on laser scans of the weld seams. Structural hot-spot stress, stress linearisation and Xiao and Yamada’s 1mm geometrical stress approaches were applied to the specimens as well as the notch stress concept with reference radii r_ref = 0.05mm and 1.00mm.