Dimensioning of welded structures made of strain-hardened aluminium alloys

Abstract

The progress in the standardization of aluminium-welded structures' calculations leaves much to be desired. This paper presents a fundamental evolution of advanced methods of calculation for the building of structures made of strain-hardened aluminium alloys. It contains calculation procedures consistent with Eurocode 9, which account for the actual development of aluminium structural safety. Qualitative advancement in the analysis of load capacity is explicitly visible in the area of welded aluminium structures that display the thermal penetration effect in heat-affected zones; this phenomenon has a destructive impact on the mechanical properties of the structure. These effects are typical of the majority of aluminium alloys and do not happen in the case of welded steel structures.