Fractured welds stir not debate
This article reviews the growing discussion regarding the failures of welded joints in a number of beam-to-column connections. In the Northridge Earthquake of 1994, there were a large number of such failures, and weld material E70T-4 was the common element in each failure. This weld material is utilized with FCAW, a semiautomatic welding process that allows a higher deposition rate. The manufacturer of the weld material argues that many of the welds were improperly performed, while others argue that the fracture toughness of the weld material is very low. With a minor defect, this would lead to brittle fracture under the cyclic loading that would occur during a seismic event. Use of the manual SMAW process using weld material E7018 is recommended.
- OSTI ID:
- 381305
- Journal Information:
- ENR, Vol. 236, Issue 18; Other Information: PBD: 6 May 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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