Two steel plates, each 350mm wide and 12mm thick, are to be joined together by welded lap splice, as shown below. The electrode used for the weld has a nominal tensile strength of 550 MPa. 

a) Determine the maximum weld size that can be used.

b) Determine the effective net area of the fillet weld using the maximum weld size allowed by the code. 

c) Determine the maximum load that can be resisted by the weld using the maximum weld size allowed by the code.

P.