Author(s)

R. E. Dippery & J. P. Leiva

Abstract

Many designs require the entire design or portions of the design to be certified by a registered professional engineer. Certification may involve a review of the design and calculations supporting the design; or reviewing the design and performing calculations necessary to evaluate the design. The analysis portion of the design may involve the use of handbooks such as Roark’s Formulas for Stress and Strain [1], Marks’ Handbook for Mechanical Engineers [2], Machine Design Databook [3], machine design textbooks [4,5], and/or boundary element method (BEM) or finite element method (FEM) codes. Other designs, such as the one considered by this paper, require an in-depth analysis of load distribution to evaluate weld stresses plus weld integrity (cyclic life, for example), a task not always practical using the previously mentioned methods. In the design considered in this paper, the analysis initially consisted of determining the maximum load for a given weld, comparing it to the maximum load applied to the device). GENESIS [6] has been used to generate stresses in the different welds. These stresses are being used in BEASY [7] models to assess the durability of the design, and recommend design improvements as required. This paper discusses the process developed for a particular design, and the application of the technique to a second design requiring certification. 1 Introduction Welded structures are very common. Design of welded joints can be found in jet engine and gas turbine casings and frames, nuclear reactor vessels and components, pressure vessels, chemical storage tanks, boilers, buildings, bridges,

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