Residual stresses in welded I section steel members

•Data on residual stresses measurements were collected.•Experimental tests on residual stress distribution were carried out.•Numerical welding simulations were performed for the tested specimens.•Statistical characterization of the measured and collected data is proposed. Residual stresses have major influence on the stability of steel members. It is well-known that, due to the differences in manufacturing procedures, the residual stresses for welded and hot – rolled members are rather different. In the same way, despite several studies on residual stresses distribution and magnitude for hot-rolled members were already done, for prismatic and tapered welded I section steel members the investigation is still very scarce. In the current work, an experimental programme on the buckling resistance of tapered members, with different tapering ratios and section heights, was conducted and residual stress measurements were carried out using the sectioning method. Numerical simulations of the heat input during welding were also performed in order to predict the residual stress fields. A statistical analysis of the residual stresses distribution for welded I section members was performed, using the experimental and numerical results, as well as literature data. Systematized information on residual stresses distribution and magnitude was generated and some guidelines for the statistical characterization of residual stresses in welded members were proposed.