Welding Joint Design and Welding Symbols

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Prepared by: DSc PhD Dževad Hadžihafizović (DEng)

Sarajevo 2024
 OBJECTIVES

• After completing this chapter, the student should be able to

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– understand the basics of joint design.

– list the five major types of joints.

– list seven types of weld grooves.

– identify the major parts of a welding symbol.

– explain the parts of a groove preparation.

– describe how nondestructive test symbols are used.

 KEY TERMS

• combination symbol • weld joint

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• edge preparation • weld location

• groove (G) and fillet (F) • weld types
• joint dimensions • welding symbols
• joint type
 INTRODUCTION
• Each joint’s design affects the quality and cost of the completed
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weld.
• Selecting the most appropriate joint design for a welding job
requires special attention and skill.
• Welding symbols are the language used to let the welder know
exactly what welding is needed.
• The welding symbol is used as shorthand and can provide the
welder with all of the required information to make the correct
weld.
 WELD JOINT DESIGN
• The term weld joint design refers to the way pieces of metal
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are put together or aligned with each other.

– Butt joint

– Lap joint

– Tee joint

– Outside corner joint

– Edge joint
WELD JOINT DESIGN (cont.)
• Types of joints.
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 WELD JOINT DESIGN (cont.)
• Two ways of fitting up an outside corner joint (A) so it
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forms a V-groove or (B) so it forms a square butt joint.

 WELD JOINT DESIGN (cont.)
• Edge joint—In an edge joint, the metal surfaces are placed
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together so that the edges are even. One or both plates may
be formed by bending them at an angle,
WELD JOINT DESIGN (cont.)
• A method of controlling distortion.
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 WELD JOINT STRESSES
• The purpose of a weld joint is to join parts together so that the
stresses are distributed.
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• The forces causing stresses in welded joints are tensile,

compression, bending, torsion, and shear, Figure 22-5.
 WELD JOINT STRESSES (cont.)
• The ability of a welded joint to withstand these forces
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depends upon both the joint design and the weld integrity.

• Some joints can withstand some types of forces better than

others.
 WELDING PROCESS
• The welding process to be used has a major effect on the
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selection of the joint design.

• Each welding process has characteristics that affect its

performance.

• The rate of travel, penetration, deposition rate, and heat

input also affect the welds used on some joint designs.
 EDGE PREPARATION
• The area of the metal’s surface that is melted during the
welding process is called the faying surface.
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• The faying surface can be shaped before welding to increase

the weld’s strength; this is called edge preparation.

• The edge preparation may be the same on both members of the

joint, or each side can be shaped differently, Figure 22-6.
– Reasons for preparing the faying surfaces for welding include the
following:
• Codes and standards

• Metals

• Deeper weld penetration

• Smooth appearance

• Increased strength
 JOINT DIMENSIONS
• In some cases, the exact size, shape, and angle can be
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specified for a groove, Figure 22-8.

• If exact dimensions are not given, you may make the groove
any size you feel necessary; but remember, the wider the
groove, the more welding it will require to complete.
 METAL THICKNESS
• As the metal becomes thicker, you must change the joint
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design to ensure a sound weld.

• On thin sections it is often possible to make full penetration
welds using a square butt joint.
• When welding on thick plate or pipe, it is often impossible
for the welder to get 100% penetration without some type of
groove being used.
METAL THICKNESS (cont.)
• U-groove and J-groove joint types.
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 METAL THICKNESS (cont.)
• Back gouging a weld joint to ensure 100% joint penetration.
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 METAL TYPE
• Because some metals have specific problems with thermal
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expansion, crack sensitivity, or distortion, the joint design

selected must help control these problems.

• For example, magnesium is very susceptible to postweld

stresses, and the U-groove works best for thick sections.
 WELDING POSITION
• The most ideal welding position for most
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joints is the flat position because it allows

for larger molten weld pools to be
controlled.

• When welds are made in any position other

than the flat position, they are referred to as
being done out of position.
 PLATE WELDING POSITIONS

• The American Welding Society

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(AWS) has divided plate welding into

four basic positions for grooves (G)
and fillet (F) welds as follows:
– Flat 1G or 1F—When welding is
performed from the upper side of the
joint, and the face of the weld is
approximately horizontal, Figure 22-
13A and B.
 PLATE WELDING POSITIONS (cont.)
– Horizontal 2G or 2F—The axis of
the weld is approximately horizontal,
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but the type of the weld dictates the

complete definition.

– For a fillet weld, welding is

performed on the upper side of an
approximately vertical surface.
 PLATE WELDING POSITIONS (cont.)
– For a groove weld, the face of the
weld lies in an approximately
vertical plane, Figure 22-13C and D.
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– Vertical 3G or 3F—The axis of the

weld is approximately vertical,
Figure 22-13E and F.
– Overhead 4G or 4F—When welding
is performed from the underside of
the joint, Figure 22-13G and H.
 PIPE WELDING POSITIONS
• The American Welding Society
has divided pipe welding into five
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basic positions:
– Horizontal rolled 1G—The pipe is
rolled either continuously or
intermittently so that the weld is
performed within 0° to 15° of
the top of the pipe, Figure 22-14A.
– Horizontal fixed 5G—The pipe is
parallel to the horizon, and the
weld is made vertically around the
pipe, Figure 22-14B.
 PIPE WELDING POSITIONS
(cont.)
– Vertical 2G—The pipe is vertical to
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the horizon, and the weld is made

horizontally around the pipe, Figure
22-14C.
– Inclined 6G—The pipe is fixed in a
45° inclined angle, and the weld is
made around the pipe, Figure 22-
14D.
– Inclined with a restriction ring
6GR—The pipe is fixed in a 45°
inclined angle, and there is a
restricting ring placed around the
pipe below the weld groove, Figure
22-14E.
 CODE OR STANDARDS REQUIREMENTS
• The type, depth, angle, and location of the groove are
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usually determined by a code or standard that has been

qualified for the specific job.
• Organizations such as the American Welding Society, the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and
the American Bureau of Ships (ABS) are among the
agencies that issue such codes and specifications.
• The most common code or standards are the AWS D1.1 and
the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel (BPV), Section IX.
 WELDER SKILL
• Often the skills or abilities of the welder are a limiting factor
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in joint design.

• Some joints have been designed without adequate room for

the welder to see the molten weld pool or room to get the
electrode or torch into the joint.
 ACCEPTABLE COST

• A number of factors can affect the cost of producing a weld.

• Joint design is one major way to control welding cost.
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• Reducing the groove angle can also help, Figure 22-15.

• Joint design must be a consideration for any project to be
competitive and cost effective.
 WELDING SYMBOLS
• The use of welding symbols enables a designer to indicate clearly
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to the welder important detailed information regarding the weld.

• The information in the welding symbol can include the following
details for the weld: length, depth of penetration, height of
reinforcement, groove type, groove dimensions, location,
process, filler metal, strength, number of welds, weld shape, and
surface finishing.
• Welding symbols are a shorthand language for the welder.
• Welding symbols have been standardized by the American
Welding Society.
• Figure 22-16 shows the basic components of welding symbols,
consisting of a reference line with an arrow on one end.
WELDING SYMBOLS (cont.)
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 INDICATING TYPES OF WELDS
• Weld types are classified as follows: fillets, grooves, flange, plug
or slot, spot or projection, seam, back or backing, and surfacing.
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• Each type of weld has a specific symbol that is used on drawings

to indicate the weld.
 WELD LOCATION
• Welding symbols are applied to the joint as the basic reference.
• All joints have an arrow side (near side) and other side (far side).
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• Accordingly, the terms arrow side, other side, and both sides are
used to indicate the weld location with respect to the joint.
• The reference line is always drawn horizontally.
• An arrow line is drawn from one end or both ends of a reference
line to the location of the weld. The arrow line can point to either
side of the joint and extend either upward or downward.
• The tail is added to the basic welding symbol when it is
necessary to designate the welding specifications, procedures, or
other supplementary information needed to make the weld,
Figure 22-19.
WELD LOCATION (cont.)
• Designating weld locations.
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 WELD LOCATION (cont.)
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– The notation placed in the tail of the symbol may indicate the
welding process to be used, the type of filler metal needed,
whether or not peening or root chipping is required, and other
information pertaining to the weld. If notations are not used, the
tail of the symbol is omitted.
 LOCATION SIGNIFICANCE OF ARROW
• In the case of fillet and groove welding symbols, the arrow
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connects the welding symbol reference line to one side of

the joint.
• The surface of the joint the arrow point actually touches is
considered to be the arrow side of the joint.
• The side opposite the arrow side of the joint is considered to
be the other (far) side of the joint.
• On a drawing, when a joint is illustrated by a single line and
the arrow of a welding symbol is directed to the line, the
arrow side of the joint is considered to be the near side of
the joint.
 FILLET WELDS
• Dimensions of fillet welds are shown on the same side of the
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reference line as the weld symbol and are shown to the left
of the symbol, Figure 22-20A.
 FILLET WELDS (cont.)
• In intermittent fillet welds, the length and pitch increments
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are placed to the right of the weld symbol.

 PLUG WELDS
• Holes in the arrow side member of a joint for plug welding
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are indicated by placing the weld symbol below the

reference line.
• Holes in the other side member of a joint for plug welding
are indicated by placing the weld symbol above the
reference line, Figure 22-23.
PLUG WELDS (cont.)
• Applying dimensions to plug welds.
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 SPOT WELDS
• Dimensions of resistance spot welds are indicated on the
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same side of the reference line as the weld symbol, Figure

22-24.
• Such welds are dimensioned either by size or strength.
SPOT WELDS (cont.)
• Spot welding symbols
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 SPOT WELDS (cont.)
• Designating strength and number of spot welds
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 SEAM WELDS
• Dimensions of seam welds are shown on the same side of
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the reference line as the weld symbol.

• Dimensions relate to either size or strength.
 SEAM WELDS (cont.)
• The strength of seam welds is designated as the minimum
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acceptable shear strength in pounds per linear inch.

• The strength value is placed to the left of the weld symbol.
• Strength of seam weld with an electron beam.
 GROOVE WELDS
• Joint strength can be improved
by making some type of groove
preparation before the joint is
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welded.
• The various types of groove
welds are classified as follows:
– Single-groove and symmetrical
double-groove welds that extend
completely through the members
being joined. No size is included
on the weld symbol, Figure 22-
28A and B.
 GROOVE WELDS (cont.)
– Groove welds that extend only
partway through the parts being
joined.
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– The size as measured from the

top of the surface to the bottom
(not including reinforcement) is
included to the left of the welding
symbol, Figure 22-28C.
– The size of groove welds with a
specified effective throat is
indicated by showing the depth
of groove preparation with the
effective throat appearing in
parentheses and placed to the left
of the weld symbol, Figure 22-
28D.
 GROOVE WELDS (cont.)
– The size of square groove welds
is indicated by showing the root
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penetration. The depth of

chamfering and the root
penetration are read in that order
from left to right along the
reference line.
– The root opening of groove
welds is the user’s standard
unless otherwise indicated. The
root opening of groove welds,
when not the user’s standard, is
shown inside the weld symbol,
Figure 22-28E and F.
 GROOVE WELDS (cont.)
– The size of groove welds with a
specified effective throat is
indicated by showing the depth of
groove preparation with the
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effective throat appearing in

parentheses and placed to the left of
the weld symbol, Figure 22-28D.
The size of square groove welds is
indicated by showing the root
penetration. The depth of
chamfering and the root penetration
are read in that order from left to
right along the reference line.
– The root opening of groove welds is
the user’s standard unless otherwise
indicated. The root opening of
groove welds, when not the user’s
standard, is shown inside the weld
symbol, Figure 22-28E and F.
 GROOVE WELDS (cont.)
– The root face’s main purpose is to minimize the burn-through
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that can occur with a feather edge. The size of the root face is
important to ensure good root fusion, Figure 22-29.
 GROOVE WELDS (cont.)
– The size of flare
groove welds is
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considered to extend
only to the tangent
points of the members,
Figure 22-30.
 BACKING
• A backing (strip) is a piece of metal that is placed on the back side of a
weld joint.
• The backing must be thick enough to withstand the heat of the root
pass as it is burned in.
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• A backing strip may be used on butt joints, tee joints, and outside
corner joints, Figure 22-31.
 BACKING (cont.)
• The backing may be
either left on the
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finished weld or
removed following
welding.
• If the backing is to be
removed, the letter R
is placed in the
backing symbol,
Figure 22-32.
 FLANGED WELDS
• The following welding symbols
are used for light-gauge metal
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joints where the edges to be

joined are bent to form flange or
flare welds.
– Edge flange welds are shown by
the edge flange weld symbol.
– Corner flange welds are indicated
by the corner flange weld symbol.
 FLANGED WELDS (cont.)
– Dimensions of flange welds are
shown on the same side of the
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reference line as the weld symbol

and are placed to the left of the
symbol, Figure 22-33. The radius
and height above the point of
tangency are indicated by
showing both the radius and the
height separated by a plus sign.
– The size of the flange weld is
shown by a dimension placed
outward from the flanged
dimensions.
 NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING SYMBOLS

• The increased use of nondestructive testing (NDT) as a

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means of quality assurance has resulted in the development

of standardized symbols.

• The symbol for the type of nondestructive test to be used,

Table 22-1, is shown with a reference line.
NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING SYMBOLS (cont.)
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 NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING SYMBOLS (cont.)
• Basic nondestructive testing symbol.
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 NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING SYMBOLS (cont.)
• Testing symbols used to indicate what side is to be tested.
• Symbols above the line indicate other side, symbols below
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the line indicate arrow side, and symbols on the line indicate
no preference for the side to be tested.
 NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING SYMBOLS (cont.)
• Two or more tests may be required for the same section of
weld.
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• Methods of combining testing symbols to indicate more than

one type of test to be performed.
 NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING SYMBOLS (cont.)

• Two methods of designating the length of weld to be tested.

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• The length either may be given to the right of the test symbol,
usually in inches, or can be shown by the arrow line,
 NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING SYMBOLS (cont.)
• The number of tests to be made is given in parentheses ( )
above or below the test symbol.
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 NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING SYMBOLS (cont.)
• The welding symbols and nondestructive testing symbols
can be combined into one symbol.
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 NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING SYMBOLS (cont.)
• The combination symbol may help both the welder and
inspector to identify welds that need special attention.
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• A special symbol can be used to show the direction of

radiation used in a radiographic test.
 PRACTICE 22-1
• Reading Welding Symbols
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– Using a pencil and lined paper, you are going to identify the
welding symbols identified by the red numbered circles shown
in, Figure 22-41. Write the numbers 1 through 9 vertically down
the left side of the page. Next to each number sketch a cross
section of the weld indicated by the welding symbol. Next write
a statement explaining each of the parts of the welding symbol.
PRACTICE 22-1 (cont.)
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 SUMMARY
• Understanding the physics of joint design is essential for the
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welder so that you can recognize and anticipate the various

forces that will be applied to a weldment in the field.
• Engineers use static and dynamic loading computer programs to
anticipate the weldment’s strength requirements.
• In the field, the welder is expected to understand the types of
forces being applied to the weldment and to determine the best
joint design to prevent these forces from causing a structural
failure.
• Understanding the significance of a welding symbol will prevent
one of the most common problems in the field—that of
overwelding.