Research profile

Background for My Research Project 

During the work on my master’s thesis, it became evident that there is a significant lack of understanding of how non-proportional (NP) stress states affect the fatigue life of welded steel structures. This realization has motivated me to delve deeper into the subject and initiate my research to develop a comprehensive methodology that can address this complex phenomenon.

In industry, there is a growing interest in solutions that can withstand harsh environments, such as in the offshore sector, where complex stress states arise from the forces of wind and sea. Misjudging NP stress states risks underestimating their damaging effects, which can lead to serious failures in structures. Unfortunately, current standards and guidelines, such as those from the IIW and DNV, are insufficient to address these complex loading conditions, largely due to their significantly conservative approaches. As a result, structures often require more resources than necessary to meet lifetime estimates.

The aim of my project is to investigate how NP stress states affect the fatigue life of welded steel structures, to estimate the actual resources needed. These findings will be translated into a practical guideline that integrates state-of-the-art research and established standards. This guideline will provide engineers with valuable recommendations for assessing fatigue life under NP stress states. The project will thus contribute to advancing scientific knowledge in this area and fostering safer and more efficient designs.