Fundamentals of fatigue of welded structures

Welding is an enabling technology that plays a critical role in almost every industrial sector. In many applications the welded structures are both geometrically complex and subjected to changing loads which means that design to resist fatigue failure is crucial. Structures in ground vehicles, shipbuilding, energy production, work machines, railway, and highway bridges are a few examples of those that must be designed considering fatigue. This first lecture introduces listeners to many of the challenges that make fatigue design of welded structures complex and that have guided contributors to IIW Commission XIII – “Fatigue of Welded Structures” over the years. Subsequent videos will present alternate solutions and international best practices that have been developed to meet these challenges.

Gary B. Marquis, IIW

Short bio

Gary Marquis has been a professor of solid mechanics at Aalto University in Finland since 2008. From 2013 – 2023 he also served as the Dean of the Aalto School of Engineering. Dr. Marquis joined the IIW as a delegate to Commission XIII – Fatigue of Welded Structures in 2000 and was Commission Chair 2006-2014. He was elected to the IIW Technical Management Board in 2008 where he served for six years including three years as Chair. He also served as IIW President 2014-2017 and Treasurer 2019-2020. His research work has focused on assessing the fatigue strength of welded structures subjected to complex variable amplitude and multiaxial loading and developing best practices for improving the fatigue strength of welds in high strength steel.