Compression capacity for randomly corroded welded hollow spherical joints

Welded hollow spherical joints are commonly used in reticulated shell structures. Corrosion on the surface of the joints can significantly reduce their compression capacity. Pitting corrosion is a typical corrosion type on steel structures. A corrosion pit forms at random locations and has a random size. Its random size is indicated by random planar size and thickness – that is, multiple-random pitting corrosion. In this work, a series of non-linear numerical analyses was conducted to investigate the influences of these parameters on the mass loss and compression capacity of welded hollow spherical joints. The aim of this work was to construct a probabilistic distribution model of the compression capacity of the joints with multiple-random pitting corrosion and establish the relationship of the probabilistic distribution model with the specified corrosion and geometric parameters. The work also provided a method for determining the probabilistic model of the joints under actual conditions. This work could serve as a basis for the stochastic analysis of integral structures connected by welded hollow spherical joints with random pitting corrosion.