3. Conclusion

Since the mid-20th century, methodologies for dimensioning welded structures subjected to variable loads have improved, and today many sectors of welded construction have a normative document specifying how to apply them in a probabilistic failure context.

On the other hand, developments in fracture mechanics have made it possible to accurately assess the stability of a planar defect in a welded joint under static or variable loads and to determine the suitability of the structure for use with regard to a failure mode involving sudden fracture in ductile or brittle mode or the propagation of a planar defect.