Fatigue testing of welded flat head pressure vessel joints

Experimental results for the fatigue testing of several welded flat head geometries are reported. These tests are similar to those previously reported by Hinnant (2006) [1] and focus on the fatigue behavior of full penetration welds with cover fillet welds. Fatigue calculations according to several fatigue design methods are compared against the experimental results, as are the mean fatigue curves of several of the design methods. Of particular interest for these new tests is the effect of plate thickness, testing environment, and geometric effects. Nominal plate thickness values ranging from 0.0625" (1.59 mm) to 0.1875" (4.76 mm) have been tested and correlated. Four additional fatigue tests were conducted using air to determine if previous testing in room temperature tap water resulted in decreased fatigue life.