2023-01-11

Welding Faults & Causes

Notch Effect
• Notch Effect takes place whenever a notch is
placed or formed within a cross section of
material, thereby creating a point of weakness.
• Notch effect can also occur as the result of
– poor joint design,
– poor weld profile
– structural discontinuities in the weld zone
• Any weld fault that causes a similar weakness is
said to have a notching effect on the weld.

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Notch Effect – Nick Break Test Stress Flow Lines and Notch Effect

• Determines internal faults within a specimen
• When you apply any type of stress to an object,
imaginary lines of force known as stress flow
lines run through it. These lines are evenly
spaced and parallel in an object having uniform
dimensions and no defects.

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Stress Flow Lines and Notch Effect Stress Flow Lines and Notch Effect

Failure to taper
out rapid changes
in cross sections
leads to a severe
noting effect and
possible failure of
the weldment.
Use 3:1 ratio

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Stress Flow Lines and Notch Effect Stress Flow Lines and Notch Effect
– Welded Lap Joints – Gussets & Corner Braces

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Notch Effect – Welding Workmanship

Dimensional Defects - Prior to Welding
Always fill craters and apply a wash coat of
metal at the ends if necessary.

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Codes, Standards and Specifications limit surface

Joint Preparation Irregularities irregularities (e.g., CSA Standard W59 states)
• 5.3 Preparation of Material

– 5.3.2 Occasional notches , not more than 3/16” deep, on otherwise

satisfactory surfaces shall be removed by machining or grinding.
Occasional notches exceeding 3/16” and less than 7/16” deep, in
oxygen cut edges of cut plate up to 4” thick , not to be welded , may,
with the Engineers approval, be repaired by welding. For material 4”
thick and over, the depth of the notch shall not exceed 5/8”

– Such repairs shall be made by suitably preparing the defective area,

welding with basic electrodes to an approved procedure and grinding
• Sheared surfaces the completed weld smooth and flush with the adjacent surface to
produce a workmanlike finish.
• Flame cut and goughed surfaces

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Dimensional Faults after Welding Parts of a Fillet Weld

• Distortion or Warpage
Distortion may have a number of contributing causes
including:
– Lack of control over heat input
– Inadequate control of weld pass sequencing
– Inaccurate joint preparation
– Inadequate control of fit up
– Incorrect joint design

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Parts of a Fillet Weld Parts of a Fillet Weld

TOE
REINFORCEMENT
FACE

LEG
TOE

ROOT LEG

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Parts of a Fillet Weld Parts of a Fillet Weld

ACTUAL EFFECTIVE
THROAT THROAT

ACTUAL
THROAT

EFFECTIVE THEORETICAL THEORETICAL

THROAT THROAT THROAT

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Parts of a
Parts of a Groove Weld Groove Weld FACE TOE
TOE

Heat Affected
Zone (HAZ)
Fusion Line

ROOT

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Parts of a Parts of a
REINFORCEMENT
Groove Weld Groove Weld
Capping Passes

THROAT
Fill OR SIZE
Passes

Root Pass

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Fillet Weld Profiles Groove Weld Profiles

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Excessive Convexity Excessive Weld Reinforcement

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Failure from excessive weld reinforcement

Underfill & Concavity

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Fillet Weld Gauge Groove Weld Gauge

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Weld Gauge Cambridge Weld Gauge

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Hi-Lo Weld Gauge Overlap

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzYj0qsLbVY

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Undercut Slag Inclusions

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Slag Inclusions Slag Inclusions

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Slag Inclusions Tungsten Inclusions

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Weld Porosity Forms of Porosity

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Porosity Piping Porosity

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Sub-Surface Weld Porosity

Surface Porosity
- Radiograph

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Inadequate Fusion
Laminations in the Parent Metal

Figure 26 - Lack of fusion.

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Inadequate Fusion Inadequate Fusion

Figure 26 - Lack of fusion.

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Incomplete Penetration (Groove Welds) Incomplete Penetration (Fillet Weld)

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Incomplete Penetration vs. Inadequate Fusion WELD CRACKING

Metallurgical
» Hydrogen Induced Cracking
» Solidification Cracking
» Hot Cracking
» Crater Cracking

Mechanical
» High restraint on the joint
» Rapid cooling of hardenable or brittle material
» Poor joint fit up
» Unsuitable filler metal choice
» Welds to small for the size of the parent metal

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Cold Cracking (HIC) Hydrogen Induced

Cracking (in steels)
There are generally four conditions, when in combination with one another,
favor weld Hydrogen Induced Cracking (HIC) in steels. They are as follows:
1. Presence of Hydrogen: Due to moisture present in electrode fluxes or
atmosphere, which allows for the diffusion of hydrogen to the weld pool
and HAZ.
The levels of hydrogen
2. Tensile Stresses: Arising from thermal contractions of the weld and
base metal upon solidification and cooling.
introduced through
welding is greatly
3. Susceptible HAZ Microstructure: Transformations from ferrite to
austenite and back again during thermal cycling lead to hydrogen influenced by the the
embrittlement in the susceptible microstructure. welding process used.
4. Low Ambient Temperature: Risk of cracking is greater when the work
piece is cooled to a low temperature where atomic hydrogen can
combine to form hydrogen molecules H2

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Cold Cracking (HIC)

HAZ Cold Cracking (Toe)

Danger Zone for

HIC at Atmospheric
Temperatures

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjz8eh3uxkU

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HAZ Cold Cracking (Transverse) Root Cracking

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Weld Cracking - Radiograph Solidification Cracking (Longitudinal)

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Crater Cracking (Solidification Cracking)

Crater Cracking

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Longitudinal Cracking Stray Arc Strikes

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Stray Arc Strikes Stray Arc Strikes

Pressure Vessel Failure – Hydrostatic

Testing Nanjing, China Nov. 2007

Root Cause: Undetermined,

however look at the…

Arc Strikes

Arc Strikes produce a tiny weld with a very high cooling rate leading to the
potential for cracking that can propagate and cause a catastrophic structural failure

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Welding
Discontinuities

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