A finite element to simulate the failure of weld points on impact

This paper presents the formulation, the identification and the application to a complex problem of a model of the behavior of a welded junction between two metallic plates experiencing accidental loading during a car crash. The approach is very different from the usual works on fatigue analysis of welded steel sheets where the calculations rely essentially on crack propagation models with or without the residual strains and stresses from welding. The model presented here is based on a relatively simple damage model and is intended to predict a type of failure which is essentially ductile, based on the tearing of the material around the welded zone. The identification procedure of the model is presented. This paper shows, on a series of basic weld failure analysis as well as on one complex case, that the model permits a good prediction of observed experimental failure scenarios and loadings. The model was implemented in the RADIOSS explicit finite element code. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.