Weld toe improvement methods have been widely investigated and have, in most cases, been found to give substantial increases in fatigue strength. However, there are large variations in the actual improvements achieved, and the results obtained by various methods are not always ranked in a consistent manner. One explanation for the observed varia tions is the lack of standardization of the optimum method of application, but variations in the material, type of loading and type of weld detail may also have influenced the results. The effectiveness of the treatment also depends heavily on the skill of the operator. In order to.
