Numerical simulations and the effect of residual stresses in ultimate strength analysis of beams and plates

This paper presents a study on numerical simulations and the effect of residual stresses in the ultimate strength analysis of beams and plates subjected to in-plane loads. Residual stresses due to welding can be introduced in finite element analysis, and two approaches are discussed in the present paper. In one approach, the residual stresses are introduced using a pre-defined stress field. In another approach, thermal analyses with heating and cooling are performed to simulate the residual stresses introduced during welding. Numerical results for the ultimate capacity showed that the capacity is slightly reduced due to residual stresses, and the response and stiffness of the structure are softer.