Fricke, WolfgangWolfgangFricke2020-05-112020-05-112013-08-23Welding in the World 6 (57): 753-791 (2013)http://hdl.handle.net/11420/6117At welded joints, fatigue cracks usually initiate either at the weld toe or the weld root. The latter may be influenced by small defects or other irregularities or even by non-fused root faces forming a slit which acts like a crack. Weld root failure has therefore to be checked for several weld types. Different approaches exist for fatigue assessment, including the rather simple nominal stress approach, local stress approaches and the crack propagation approach which are partly well suited for the assessment of weld root fatigue. However, it is not easy to keep the overview and to decide which approach should be applied in the case in question. For this purpose, the guideline has been established giving an overview of the different approaches with special emphasis on weld roots and discussing their suitability and the limitations. Six typical examples are described where different approaches are applied and in some cases compared with fatigue tests, thus giving insight into the practical application and allowing own judgement. © 2013 International Institute of Welding.en1878-666920136753791SpringerCrack propagationFatigue cracksFatigue strengthFinite element analysisRoot runsStress analysisTechnikIngenieurwissenschaftenJournal Article10.1007/s40194-013-0066-yJournal Article