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A series of finite element weld simulations was carried out for single-pass welds. Two multi-phase ferritic steel grades with yield strength of 355 MPa were investigated. Methods for selecting efficiently the boundary conditions of unrestrained and clamped-down plates were simulated with satisfying results. Furthermore, the influence of the tangent modulus, the coefficient for thermal expansion and the applied model of hardening behaviour on the final field of calculated welding residual stresses (WRS) was analysed. Values, which provide better agreement with experimental results, along with those that lie on the safe side were highlighted.

The induction of near-surface compressive residual stress is an important factor for fatigue life improvement of HFMI-treated welded joints. However, the relaxation of these beneficial residual stresses under single overload peaks under variable amplitude and service loads may significantly reduce fatigue life improvement. For this reason, several recommendations exist to limit the maximum applied load stress for this kind of post-treated welded joints. In this work, the effect of single tension and compression overloads on the relaxation behavior of HFMI-induced residual stresses was studied experimentally by means of X-ray and neutron diffraction techniques complemented by numerical simulation at transverse stiffeners made of mild S355J2 steel and high strength S960QL steel. Loads were applied close to the real yield strength of the base material. Significantly different relaxation behavior was observed for S355J2 and S960QL steel. Furthermore, high compression loads lead to full residual stress relaxation at the weld toe of S960QL and moderate relaxation for S355J2. High tension loads lead only to slight relaxation.

One of the decisive criteria in the selection of material between steel and aluminium could be the welding RS (residual stresses), which play an important role for the fatigue behavior of the structures under cycling loading. In the current paper simulations in commercial FE software ANSYS were carried out, in order to calculate the welding RS field for three different materials: structural steel S355 and the aluminum grades EN AW-6060 and EN AW-5754. In the case of EN AW-6060 influence of recrystallization on the yield strength of the HAZ (heat affected zone) was taken into consideration.