Experimental assessment of single-sided fillet welds under bending and combined shear–bending loading

The current Eurocode EN 1993-1-8 provides no explicit design guidance for single-sided fillet (SSF) welds subjected to bending, although such configurations occur in practical applications. This study addresses this gap through an experimental investigation of the load-bearing behaviour of SSF welds under pure bending and combined shear–bending loading. A total of 60 tests were carried out, covering different weld throat thicknesses, base materials and filler metals. The resulting dataset forms the basis for assessing the applicability of the resistance models for bending and combined shear–bending loading provided in EN 1993-1-8. The experimental results were compared with the resistance model of the directional method, and a reliability analysis of the individual resistance models was performed in accordance with EN 1990, Annex D. The results show that SSF welds can be designed in accordance with the Eurocode provisions. For pure bending, the resistance predictions remain conservative, even when a plastic bending resistance is assumed. For combined shear–bending loading, the proposed application leads to less conservative and more economical resistance predictions. The resistance formulations of EN 1993-1-8 can be applied to SSF welds under bending without considering the normal-stress criterion. • Experimental investigation of the out-of-plane bending behaviour of single-sided fillet (SSF) welds. • Test series on SSF Welds under pure bending and combined shear–bending loading. • Statistical evaluation of resistance models according to EN 1990, Annex D. • Design-oriented guidance for applying EN 1993-1-8 to SSF welds subjected to bending.