Types of Crack in welding

Sarajevo 2022 Prepared by: DSc Dzevad Hadzihafizovic

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What is a Welding Crack?

A crack is a material separation that does not encompass the entire cross-section of a
welding joint, component, or material, not yet causing it to fall apart. Cracks are in most
cases starting points of a fracture.

Welding Cracks are fracture-type linear imperfections having a sharp tip with a higher length
and very small width. Welding cracks can appear in weld deposits, heat-affected zone
(HAZ), and base material. They occur once the localized stresses exceed the ultimate
tensile strength of the base metal.

Initial Cracking usually starts at stress concentrations due to other defects or sharp notches
(notches work as stress concentration) in the nearby area. These stresses can be residual
stresses caused by the welding or stresses got applied due to service or another external
loading.

In welding, residual stresses are caused by weld solidification and thermal expansion
properties of the metal. In welding cracks, there is little plastic deformation as most of the
cracks either occur due to high hardness or Stress.

Classification of Cracks:

1. Metallurgical caused cracking: Hot crack, Shrinkage Crack

2. Technologically caused Cracking: Crack due to wrong heat treatment
3. Load caused cracking: Stress corrosion cracking, Hydrogen cracking

Types of Cracks Based on Size

Cracks based on their size are classified into:

1. Macro cracks: Visible with the naked eye or with a magnifying glass
2. Microcracks: Visible under a metallographic microscope

Further classification can be based on how the cracks propagate, as:

1. Inter-crystalline crack: Cracks propagating along the grains

2. Trans-crystalline crack: Cracks propagating through complete microstructure areas.

What are the Types of Cracks in Welding?

Various types of cracking are found in welding applications. The cracks types, their
appearance, and locations significantly affect the service life of the components especially
when they are under cyclic loading applications.

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As we know cyclic loading can easily create failure of the part if any notches or cracks are
present. Each type of cracking found in welding is caused due to particular reasons either
single or in combinations.

For example, delayed cracking is caused due to presence of hydrogen, stresses, and hard
microstructure. So, it’s the conditions that affect the appearance of the cracks in the
weldment.

Cold Cracks vs. Hot Cracks

In general, cracks are classified as:

1. Cold cracks e.g. delayed cracking, fatigue cracks

2. Hot Crack e.g. Solidification cracking

Hot cracking appears at the solidification stage of the welding. The main reason for hot
cracks is the lack of ductility at elevated temperatures.

Hot cracking is found mostly at the center of the weld as, during solidification, this is the area
that solidifies at the last. These cracks propagate between weld deposit grains or the
interface of the welding.

On the other hand, cold cracks do not appear at the solidification stage but rather they are
found after the solidification stage is completed after the welding or simply once the welding
is completed. Cold Crack is also known as hydrogen cracking or delayed cracking as these

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cracks are generated due to the presence of hydrogen and can appear after several hours of
the welding or even after days after welding is done.

Cold cracking is found in HAZ, weld metal as well as in base metal. Delayed cracking
propagates through the grains as well as between the grains.

What is Hot Crack and it’s Types?

Hot cracks appear in the weldment due to various associated phenomena. Hot crack is the
type of crack appearance that results in the presence of molten or brittle phases on the grain
boundaries at high temperatures.

They have the following types:

1. Solidification Cracking
2. Liquation Cracking
3. Crack due to a reduction of deformability
4. Centerline cracking

Hot cracks formed in the area of welding are called solidification cracks. They are generated
during the crystallization of the base material from the liquid phase and frequently reach up
to the surface of the weld metal forming either center cracking or end crater cracking. The
cracks can be either find by visual testing or by performing liquid penetration testing or
magnetic particle testing.

What is Longitudinal vs. Transverse Cracks?

A longitudinal crack is parallel to the weld axis. Any crack appearing at Weld, HAZ or fusion
line will be called a longitudinal crack such as a centerline crack in weld metal or a toe crack
in the base material or HAZ. Longitudinal cracks are shown in the below picture.

When welding small length tack weld or small welds between heavy to thin members,
longitudinal cracks appears due to high cooling rate and high restraint. in HAZ, longitudinal
cracks are caused due to dissolved hydrogen in the weld metal during solidification.
Transverse cracks found in submerged arc welds are caused due to high welding travel
speed and could be associated with porosity.

Types of weld crack that appear perpendicular to the weld axis are called Transverse
Cracks. Transverse cracks are small in size compared to the longitudinal cracks and mostly
within the width of the total weld bead as shown in the below picture.

Transverse cracks can also propagate into the HAZ and base metal. In high-strength
materials, transverse cracks can easily develop if preheat and hydrogen level is not

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controlled and they can appear only in the heat-affected zone. Most of such cracks are
caused by the longitudinal shrinkage stresses working on low ductile weld metal which is the
case in most of the high strength materials. Hydrogen cracking or cold cracking can also
show a similar pattern of transverse cracking.

What is Crater Crack?

When performing fusion welding processes such as stick welding or MIG or TIG and if the
end of the weld is not properly terminated, it can result in starlike network crack formation as
shown in the below picture. The crack appearing at the end crater in welding is called a
Crater Crack or star called as called sometimes.

Crater cracks are types of hot cracks as cracking occurs during the solidification stage.
Materials that exhibit high thermal coefficients such as Austenitic stainless steel or aluminum
are more prone to crater cracks as heat will be dissipated very fast and there will be high
stresses in the underfilled crater.

The prevention of crater cracks or Crater cracks can be prevented by:

1. Filling the adequate end crater.

2. Using the back step technique at the weld end.
3. Ensure a slightly convex shape at the weld end by welding.
4. Using short arc.

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What is Toe Crack?

Toe cracks is a type of cold cracks as shown in the below picture that appears at the weld
toes. Toe cracks starting point is the weld toes in fillet weld or groove weld. These are
locations of maximum shrinkage stress concentration in a weld joint. These types of cracks
start from the base metal area approximately.

Toe crack open to the surface can be easily detected by Visual Testing & surface NDT
methods (e.g. Penetrant Testing & Magnetic particle Testing).

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The cracks occur due to the effect of the welding thermal stresses working on the HAZ. Few
Tor cracks initiate due to lack of base metal ductility where the weld zone is not able to
withstand these stresses & result in the separation as crack.

What is Underbead & Heat-Affected-Zone Crack?

Underbead or heat-affected-zone (HAZ) crack can be used with the same meaning. Both of
them are types of delayed cracking occurring in weld HAZ. Typical underbead cracks are
illustrated in the below Figure. Underbead cracks can occur when three elements are
present simultaneously:

(1) Hydrogen
(2) A microstructure of relatively low ductility
(3) High residual stress

Underbred and HAZ cracks can appear in longitudinal and transverse directions. These type
of cracks are noticed in the HAZ and are not always detectable by visual (Visual Testing)
examination. Mainly such type of cracking occurs in T Joints (Fillet Welds) although you may
notice them in groove welds also.

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What is Root Crack?

Root cracks appears in the root of the weld in the longitudinal direction. They can appear on
the root surface or within the root. Root cracks can be caused by delayed cracking as well as
hot cracking type. cracks at the weld root or in the root surface. Root cracks are shown in the
above Figure.

Prepared by: DSc Dzevad Hadzihafizovic

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dzevad-hadzihafizovic-61726256/