Weld Transverse Shrinkage and Pre-Set
Transverse shrinkage per weld and total pull from the Blodgett relation (0.2 x weld area / thickness).
Example
You enter
- Weld cross-section (in2) 0.1
- Plate thickness (in) 0.5
- Parallel welds pulling the dimension 3
You get
- Shrinkage per weld 0.04 in
- Total transverse shrinkage 0.12 in
Details, formula, and sources
Transverse shrinkage per weld and total pull from the Blodgett relation (0.2 x weld area / thickness), and the recommended pre-set to lay the parts apart so the assembly cools to size. A screen; restraint, sequence, and a mock-up govern, and longitudinal/angular distortion are out of scope.
Transverse shrinkage per weld = 0.2 x weld area / thickness (the 0.2 coefficient is dimensionless; the area-over-thickness ratio carries the length); total = per-weld x weld count; recommended pre-set = total.
Transverse weld shrinkage - the Blodgett weld-area-over-thickness relation from Blodgett, Design of Welded Structures (James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation), by name.
The published Blodgett relation; the weld area, thickness, and weld count are user-supplied.
Estimate. AHJ and licensed professional govern.
Field names used by the API: weld_area_in2, thickness_in, weld_count, shrink_per_weld_in, total_shrink_in
- Blodgett coefficient 0.2 (dimensionless); editableBlodgett, Design of Welded Structures
- Scope transverse component only; longitudinal and angular distortion not estimatedscreen scope