Weld Strength Calculator
May 7, 2025
May 7, 2025
Our weld strength calculator will provide insight into how you can expect materials to perform based on the welds you intend to make.
Disclaimer: Although the calculations are accurate and conservative, this will in no way substitute for proper engineering and analysis and should only be used as a general guide. We assume no responsibility for the data presented, or how you choose to use it.
You’ll need to choose a specific type of weld to make the calculation. Choose Butt Weld if you are basically taking two flat pieces and joining them along an edge, or Fillet Weld if one piece is perpendicular to the other.
In the calculations, the reason we’re displaying two different methods (Allowable Stress Design – ASD and Load and Resistance Factor Design – LRFD) is that it’s important to design products to be safe, but also to know what their theoretical maximums are. So we’re trying to understand what the safe, and accurate, limits of our welds are. These descriptions are complete oversimplifications, but here goes:
Using the calculator we might see that for A36 steel, if we make a .25″ weld that is 1″ long, we should be able to bank on it safely taking 1691.50 lbs (7523.79 N) of stress without failing. It will most likely actually take at least 4613.18 lbs (20519.42 N) to tear or break the weld.
But again these are estimations and they make assumptions:
So, always consider the safety factor depending on the importance of the weld in the application.