Analytical Structural Stress and Stress Intensity Factor Solutions for Similar and Dissimilar Spot Welds in Cross-Tension Specimens

New analytical structural stress solutions for a rigid inclusion in a finite square thin plate with clamping edges under opening loading conditions are developed. The new solutions are used to derive new analytical structural stress and stress intensity factor solutions for similar and dissimilar spot welds in cross-tension specimens. Three-dimensional finite element analyses are conducted to obtain the stress intensity factor solutions for similar spot welds and dissimilar magnesium/steel spot welds in cross-tension specimens of equal thickness with different ratios of half-specimen width-to-weld radius. A comparison of the analytical and computational solutions indicates that the analytical stress intensity factor solutions for similar spot welds in cross-tension specimens of equal thickness are accurate for large ratios of half-specimen width-to-weld radius. However, the analytical stress intensity factor solutions for dissimilar magnesium/steel spot welds in cross-tension specimens of equal thickness are less accurate and need further improvements.