Welding residual stresses were calculated by two dimensional thermal elasto-plastic analysis using element method. Complicated plastic behavior during heat transfer was simulated with time. Fist, temperature distributions. To consider time varying behavior of material properties and loading and unloading processes, iterative calculation based on initial stiffness method was carried out. The method proposed by Yamata was used in time increment control which determined the accuracy of claculation. comparison with other caculated and experimental results shows fairly good agreement.