This study aims to investigate the effect of the post weld treatments on the fatigue life of T-type welded structure made by a SM50A steel material, generally used for excavators, because changes in the geometry, material and surface properties of welded regions affect the fatigue life of welded structures. T-type test specimens were prepared by the CO2 welding of rolled steel plates (SM50A steel) with a thickness of 10 mm at a welding speed of 30 cm/min and these T-type welded specimens were further treated by UIT (Ultrasonic Impact Treatment) and/or toe-grinding post welding treatment methods. In order to investigate improvements on the fatigue life of the samples. 3-point bending fatigue tests were conducted with a stress ratio of R=0.1 under a cyclic loading environment at a frequency of 5 Hz, via a hydraulic fatigue testing machine (±100 kN, MTS 809). The tests were performed at room temperature. The fatigue life of UIT specimens was approximately 25 times longer than that of as-welded specimens at a stress amplitude of 281 MPa, while toe-grinding specimens exhibited 4.15 times longer fatigue life. The current results could provide important guidelines to determine the proper post weld treatment methodologies of T-type welded parts for excavators with a satisfactory fatigue life although under severe operating conditions.
