Design of Welded Steel Structures – Principles and Practice
This book explains the principles and details of welding technologies applied to steel structures, and covers design in its broadest sense, but does not provide details of how welded joint resistances may be calculated. The author notes that his book ‘should be regarded as a complementary work to the more analytical studies, which present worked-out examples’; readers who require a text to explain how to perform calculations to verify the resistance of welded joints should therefore look elsewhere. However, for the reader wishing to understand the varied and complex issues that determine the success or otherwise of welded joints in steelwork there is much to be learned from this book, which reflects the many years of experience gained by the author.
The book's early chapters cover the welding technologies most likely to be encountered in structural steelwork and the many factors affecting welding, the types of defects that may occur and how these may be avoided, and how to control welding induced distortions. Brittle fracture is briefly addressed in a single short chapter. The chapter on fatigue introduces the topic before addressing what practical measures can be taken to design for this problem; it includes guidance on the prevention of fatigue cracks, as well as ways to improve the fatigue performance of existing welded joints. The chapter entitled ‘Quality control and inspection’ describes procedures and processes but without reference to any particular set of standards. This chapter contains a particularly useful section outlining the principal inspection techniques available, how they work and under what circumstances they are best used. Several short chapters cover welding related issues and good practice in the design of structural elements such as beams and columns, plate girders, portal frames, trusses (using both open sections and hollow sections) and orthotropic decks. These chapters are well illustrated and give clear and concise guidance on how best to use welding, as well as issues to avoid or mitigate.
The concluding chapter addresses ‘Economy in welded steelwork’ and outlines the factors that influence the cost of welding. The bibliography to this chapter highlights a potential weakness that runs throughout the book, namely, the rather dated references. This chapter cites references from 1959, 1963 and 1966, and the most up-to-date reference is 1995. Given the purpose of the book, which is to guide the reader through the underlying principles of good welding practice rather than the detailed application of standards or detailed design rules, it is understandable that the author has cited a number of well-established and respected texts (e.g. Blodget), but it is a little disappointing that many of the references appear rather dated and some are very likely now to be out of print, superseded or unobtainable.
In conclusion, this is a well-written, clearly illustrated book containing a wealth of experience and practical guidance on the application of welding in steel structures. Undergraduate students and engineers approaching the topic for the first time will find it contains much useful information and provides an excellent introduction to this important topic.
