Stress Distribution Formulas and Comparison of Three Stress Analysis Techniques for Tubular Joints

The available data on hot spot stress for tubular welded joints has been reviewed and a database established. Stress analysis techniques in general use for the design of offshore structures and parametric equations have been assessed against this database to determine their accuracy. A set of equations to predict the stress distributions for simple joints has been proposed and has been used to predict mixed mode stress concentration factors. Results obtained from a complex K joint have been examined in detail and the importance of the stress state, when predicting the mixed mode stress concentration factors, is demonstrated.