Prediction of welding-induced distortion of fixed plate edge using design of experiment approach

The paper presents the results of experimental studies on distortion of the fixed plate edge due to formation of a butt joint. This is a hidden form of weld distortion present in structural nodes and identified at the ship hull pre-fabrication stages. The investigations were performed according to a design of experiment (DoE) approach in laboratory conditions resembling those encountered in the shipbuilding industry. The presented analysis includes the technological‒construction parameters influencing the evaluated distortion shape. The implemented method of experimental results evaluation allows the utilisation of the approximation dependence to predict the fixed plate edge distortion in large-scale steel structures.