This book provides background and guidance on the use of the structural hot-spot stress approach to fatigue analysis. It also offers Design S-N curves for use with the structural hot-spot stress for a range of weld details, and presents parametric formulas for calculating stress increases due to misalignment and structural discontinuities.

Highlighting the extension to structures fabricated from plates and non-tubular sections. The structural hot-spot stress approach focuses on cases of potential fatigue cracking from the weld toe and it has been in use for many years in tubular joints.

Following an explanation of the structural hot-spot stress, its definition and its relevance to fatigue, the book describes methods for its determination. It considers stress determination from both finite element analysis and strain gauge measurements, and emphasizes the use of finite element stress analysis, providing guidance on the choice of element type and size for use with either solid or shell elements. Lastly, it illustrates the use of the recommendations in four case studies involving the fatigue assessment of welded structures using the structural hot-spot stress