Behaviour of Dissimilar Welded Connections of Mild Carbon (S235), Stainless (1.4404), and High-Strength (S690) Steels under Monotonic and Cyclic Loading

In the context of an increasing interest in the use of high-performance steels in the construction industry due to their superior mechanical properties, understanding the behaviour and assessing the performance of dissimilar welded connections becomes essential. When several steel grades are adopted for fabrication of the same dissipative element, dissimilar welded connections have a decisive importance regarding the seismic performance of the structural member. This paper presents the experimental results of monotonic and low-cycle fatigue (LCF) tests on dissimilar welded connections. The welded connections are designed to reproduce the loading state that occurs between the web and the flanges of dissipative links in an eccentrically braced frame, and represent combinations of S235 mild carbon steel, 1.4404 austenitic stainless steel, and S690 high-strength steel. The obtained experimental results provide a better understanding of the behaviour of dissimilar welded connections through the evaluation of their strength, ductility, and failure mechanisms, providing a basis for finite element (FE) models’ calibration for further numerical simulations. This study contributes to the evaluation of the feasibility of connections between dissimilar steels in seismic-resistant steel structures.