@misc{9233433,
  abstract     = {{This report studies fatigue in welded steel structures of a conveyor belt using the finite element method (FEM) together with hand calculations based on nominal stress. Three methods were used to evaluate stress at critical locations, the nominal stress method, the hot-spot method, and the effective notch stress method. Detailed FEM models were created where weld geometry and critical stress concentrations were included through local mesh refinement in critical regions.

Several load systems were analysed to represent different operating conditions of the conveyor belt. Parameter studies were also performed to evaluate how variations
in weld size and structural configuration affect the fatigue life. The results show
differences between the evaluated methods. The effective notch method predicts higher local stress levels, while the hot-spot method describes structural stress concentrations and the nominal stress method mainly represents global stress effects.

The results indicate that local geometric variations and weld design have a strong
influence on fatigue performance. Increasing the weld size reduces the stress levels and improves the predicted fatigue life.

Different material models were also analysed. A bilinear isotropic hardening model was performed to capture the plastic deformation of the structure. The resulting deformed geometry was then used as the basis for a linear stress analysis. These analyses resulted in a lower predicted fatigue life compared to the analyses using only a linear elastic material model. Analyses including large rotation effects were also performed, but these did not lead to any significant differences in fatigue life. 

Overall, the evaluated methods describe different stress fields in welded structures. The predicted stress levels and fatigue life depend on both the modelling approach and the weld geometry. This affects the choice of a suitable fatigue assessment method.}},
  author       = {{Larsson, Carl and Jonasson, Elias}},
  issn         = {{0349-4969}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Fatigue Life Analysis of Welds in Conveyor Belts}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}