The paramount aim of Welding Technology is the specification of the joint that will be produced. This includes its dimensioning, as well as the suitability of many factors, such as toughness and other mechanical and metallurgical properties, the environment in which it is, besides its fitness for purpose. However, additionally there is a new world-wide trend ―through Codes, standards etc.― in to consider the welded joint specification as a result of complex interactions among the metallurgical phenomena, the aspects related to connections mechanisms and the mechanical behaviour of all materials involved. In despite of in this paper we consider structural steels as base metals, absolutely there is not lack of generality and with this relatively new outlook, it is expected that profound changes will occur in the level and quality of the information usually accessible to welding engineers and designers of welded structures. Therefore, aiming to caution those professionals to the new paradigms, we will pose questions related to the design of welded structures (or produced by brazing), mainly under the point of view of the support that the welding engineer can offer to the designer.
Welding and Brazing; Design of Welded Structures; Specification of Welded Joints; Mechanical and Metallurgical Properties
