Indian Institute of Welding – ANB

IWIP Refresher Course – Module XIII

Weld Defects:
Causes and Remedies
Two Major Aspects of Fusion
Welding

 Effects of welding

 Defects of welding

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 Effects of Welding
 Effects
of welding are those which will happen
when we weld
 Residual stresses
 Distortion
 Formation of HAZ with metallurgical changes
 Defectsare those which can be theoretically
eliminated
 Cracks,lack of fusion, slag inclusions, porosity and
undercuts
 Only when we understand the nature of these defects
and why they occur, can we eliminate them
 Discontinuities & Defects

Discontinuity
 An interruption of the typical structure of a material, such as a lack
of homogeneity in its mechanical, metallurgical, or physical
characteristics.
 A discontinuity is not necessarily a defect but all defects are
discontinuities.

Defect
 A defect is a rejectable discontinuity, which occurs in an amount
great enough to render a particular object or structure unsuitable
for its intended service based on criteria in the applicable code.
 Classification of Defects

 Planar defects / Two dimensional defects - e.g.

cracks, lack of fusion, lack of penetration, are crtical
in nature and are not tolerated to any extent.
 Voluminar defects / Three dimensional defects -
e.g. slag inclusion, cavities, porosities, etc are
tolerated to a certain extent depending on the product
class and applicable code.
 Geometric defects - e.g. excess reinforcement,
underfill, root suckback, distortion are also permitted
to a certain extent.
Types of Defects

 External defects

 Internal defects

 Dimensional defects
 External defects
8. Incomplete root
1. Undercut penetration / lack of
2. External cracks penetration
3. External blowhole and 9. Excess concavity /
porosity insufficient throat
thickness / insufficient
4. Slag sticking fill
5. Edge of the plate 10. Overlap
melted off 11. Mismatch
6. Excess convexity / 12. Uneven / irregular
oversized weld / bead appearance
excess reinforcement 13. Spatters
7. Excessive root 14. Suck back
penetration
 Internal defects

1. Cracks
2. Blowhole and porosity
3. Slag Inclusions
4. Lack of fusion
5. Lack of Root penetration
6. Tungsten inclusion
7. Laminations
 Structural discontinuties

1. Crack
2. Under cut
3. Incomplete fusion
4. Incomplete penetration
5. Porosity
6. Slag Inclusion
7. Laminations
 Dimensional defects

 Distortion

 Incorrect Joint Penetration

 Incorrect Weld Size

 Incorrect Weld Profile

 Faulty weld size and profile

BUTT JOINT
 Lack of Reinforcement
 Excessive Reinforcement
 Irregular Profile

FILLET WELD
 Insufficient Throat
 Insufficient Leg Length
 Excessive Convexity (or) Concavity
 Unequal Leg Lengths
 Irregular Weld Face
External Defects
Scattered Surface Porosity

13
Linear Surface Porosity with
Connecting Crack

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 Undercut

• Definition: A groove cut at the

toe of the weld and left unfilled.

• Cause: High amperage, electrode

angle, long arc length, rust.

• Prevention: Set machine parameters on scrap metal. Clean

metal before welding.
• Repair: Weld with smaller diameter electrode, in some cases
must be low hydrogen with preheat. Also must gouge first in
some instances.
Overlap
 Undercut & Overlap

Undercut

Overlap
Undercut
 Reinforcement

The amount of a groove weld which extends

beyond the surface of the plate
Face Reinforcement

 Excessive
 Insufficient
 Improper contour

Root Reinforcement
 Excessive Reinforcement

 Definition: Specifically defined by the standard. Typically,

Reinforcement should be flush to 1/16”(pipe) or flush to 1/8”
(plate or structural shapes).

• Cause: Travel speed too slow, amperage too low

• Prevention: Set amperage and travel speed on scrap
plate.
• Repair: Remove excessive reinforcement and feather the
weld toes to a smooth transition to the base plate.
Excessive Reinforcement
 Insufficient Reinforcement
• Definition: Specifically defined by the standard. Typically,
underfill may be up to 5% of metal thickness, not to
exceed 1/32” as long as the thickness is made up in the
opposite reinforcement. Not applied to fillet welds.
• Cause: On root reinforcement - Too little filler metal will
cause thinning of the filler metal. In OH position, too hot or
too wide will cause drooping of the open root puddle.
• Prevention: Use proper welding technique. Use backing or
consumable inserts. Use back weld or backing.
• Repair: Possibly simply increase the face reinforcement. If
back welding is not possible, remove and reweld.
Insufficient Reinforcement
 Insufficient Fill on the Root
Side (Suck back)

• Definition: The weld surface is below the adjacent

surfaces of the base metal at the weld root.
• Cause: Typically improper joint preparation or
excessive weld pool heat.
• Preventions: Design joint to ensure electrode
accessibility. Control weld speed to deposit ample
weld metal.
• Repair: Back weld to fill. May require removal of
weld section by grinding for access to the joint
root.
Suck back
 Spatter

• Definition: Small particles of weld metal expelled from the

welding operation which adhere to the base metal surface.

• Cause: Long arc length, severe electrode angles, high

amperages.

• Prevention: Reduce arc length, current. Use properly re-

dried electrodes. Preferably use DC.

• Repair: Remove by grinding or sanding.

Spatter & Slag
Surface Slag Inclusion

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Excessive Spatter

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Incomplete Fusion

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Incomplete Fusion

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 Burn-through
• Definition: When an undesirable open hole has been
completely melted through the base metal. The hole may or
may not be left open.

• Cause: Excessive heat input.

• Prevention: Reduce heat input by increasing travel speed, use

of a heat sink, or by reducing welding parameters.
• Repair: Will be defined by standards. Filling may suffice.
Otherwise, removal and re welding may be required.
Burn-through
 Arc Strike

• Definition: Arc strikes result when the arc is initiated on the

base metal surface away from the weld joint either
intentionally or accidentally

• Cause: Carelessness of welder

• Prevention: In difficult areas, adjacent areas can be
protected by using fire blankets.
• Repair: Where applicable, arc strikes must be grinded
smooth and tested for cracks. If found, they must be
remove and repaired using a qualified repair procedure
and inspected as any other weld.
Internal Defects
 Cracks

 Longitudinal
 Transverse
 Crater
 Throat
 Toe
 Root
 Under bead and Heat-affected zone
 Hot
 Cold or delayed
Cracks
Longitudinal Crack

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Transverse Crack

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Cracks
 Weld Metal Cracking
Possible Corrective Actions
Causes
Highly rigid joint Preheat; relieve residual stresses, minimise
shrinkage stresses
Excessive Change welding current and travel speed;
dilution butter the joint faces prior to welding
Defective Change to new electrode; bake electrodes
electrodes to remove moisture
High Sulphur Use filler metal low in sulphur

Small weld bead Increase electrode size & welding current;

reduce travel speed
Angular distortion Change to balanced welding on both sides
of joint
Underbead
Cracks

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Toe Crack

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 Underbead Cracking

Remedies:
 Preheat

 Heat Input control

 PWHT (> 600°C / sufficient time)

 Use Low H process and electrodes

2
 Use of alternative filler materials (austenitic
type)
 Base Metal Cracking
Possible Corrective Actions
Causes
H2 in Use low H2 welding process; Post heating or post
atmosphere weld heat treat immediately
Hot cracking Use low heat input; deposit thin layers
Low ductility Use preheat; anneal the base metal
High residual Redesign the weldment; change welding
stresses sequence; apply intermediate stress relief heat
treatment
High Preheat; increase heat input; heat treat without
hardenability cooling to room temperature
 Incomplete Fusion

• Definition: Where weld metal does not form a cohesive

bond with the base metal.

• Cause: Low amperage, steep electrode angles, fast

travel speed, short arc gap, lack of preheat, electrode
too small, unclean base metal.
• Prevention: Control parameters to provide sufficient
time and weld metal volume. Proper cleaning and
deslagging.

• Repair: remove and reweld, being careful to completely

remove the defective area. This is sometimes extremely
difficult to find.
Incomplete Fusion
Incomplete Fusion
Incomplete Fusion
 Lack of Penetration

• Definition: When the weld metal does not extend to the

required depth into the joint root

• Cause: Low amperage, low preheat, tight root opening,

fast travel speed, short arc length.

• Prevention: Control parameters to provide sufficient time

and weld metal volume. Ease of electrode access.
• Repair: Back gouge and back weld or remove and
reweld.
Lack Of Penetration
 Porosity - Types

Porosity is gas pores found in the

solidified weld bead.
 Single Pore

 Uniformly Scattered

 Cluster

 Linear
Porosity
Clustered Porosity
 Slag Inclusion

• Definition: Slag entrapped within the weld

• Cause: Low amperage, improper technique, Trying to weld

in an area that is too tight. Improper wire brushing /
cleaning between passes.

• Prevention: Increase amperage or preheat, grind out tight

areas to gain access to bottom of joint.

• Repair: Remove by grinding. Reweld.

Slag Inclusion
 Tungsten Inclusion

• Definition: A tungsten particle embedded in a weld.

(Typically GTAW only)

• Cause: Tungsten electrode too small, amperage too high,

electrode dipped into the weld pool or touched with the fill
rod.

• Prevention: Use thoriated or zirconiated tungsten

electrodes in place of pure tungsten electrodes.

• Repair: Grind out and reweld

Tungsten Inclusion
 Laminations

•Base Metal Discontinuity

•May require repair prior to welding
•Formed during the milling process
Dimensional Defects
 Misalignment

 Definition: Amount a joint is

out of alignment at the root

• Cause: Carelessness. Also due to joining

different thicknesses (transition thickness)
• Prevention: Good Workmanship.

• Repair: Grinding. Careful on surface finish and

direction of grind marks.
 Excessive Concavity or Convexity

 Definition: Concavity or convexity of a fillet weld which

exceeds the specified allowable limits

• Cause: Amperage and travel speed

• Prevention: Observe proper parameters and techniques.

• Repair: Grind off or weld on. Must blend smoothly into

the base metal.
 Excessive Concavity or Convexity

Concavity

Convexity
Face & Root Reinforcement

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 Face Reinforcement

on both sides when welded from both sides

Excessive Weld Reinforcement
Other Welding Defects

Unacceptable weld beads

 Testing

The physical performance of operations to

determine quantitative measure of certain
properties of a process
It aims to determine quantity i.e. to discover
facts regardless of the implication of the
result.
 Types of Destructive & Non-
destructive Testing

 Destructive  Non-destructive

 Tensile Test  Ultrasonic Test (UT)

 Macro Test  Magnetic Particle Test (MPT)
 Charpy Test  Liquid Penetrant Test (LPT)
 Fracture Test  Radiography Test (RT)
 Bend Test  Visual Test (VT)
 Arc-welded Joints in Steel –
Guidance on Quality Levels for
Imperfections – ISO 5817
Level Symbol Quality Levels for weld
imperfections
D Moderate

C Intermediate

B Stringent
Defects and Their Limits as per
ISO 5817 -2003
Defects and their Limits Contd…
Defects and their Limits Contd…
Defects and their Limits Contd…
Defects and their Limits Contd…
Defects and their Limits Contd…
Defects and their Limits Contd…
Defects and their Limits Contd…
Defects and their Limits Contd…
Defects and their Limits Contd…
 Visual Inspection Acceptance
Criteria as per AWS D 1.1
Discontinuity Category Static Loaded Dynamic Loaded All Loads
&Inspection Criteria (Nontubular) (Nontubular) (Tubular)
Under-run: In fillet weld upto 1.6 Applicable Applicable Applicable
mm subject to not exceeding 10%
of the weld length. Not permitted
for web-to-flange welds of girder
Undercut: Upto 1 in. not to exceed Applicable Not-Applicable Not-Applicable
1mm. For an accumulated length
of 2” in any 12” for material above
1”. Undercut above 1.6mm not
allowed.
Porosity: No porosity in the butt Applicable Not-Applicable Not-Applicable
weld transverse to tensile
strength. In other butt welds and
fillet weld the size of 1mm in
linear inch of weld and shall not
exceed 19 mm in 12 in length of
weld
Porosity: In fillet weld the Not-Applicable Applicable Applicable
frequency of porosity shall not
exceed one in 100mm of weld
length and the maximum diameter
shall not exceed 2mm.
 Visual Inspection Acceptance
Criteria
Discontinuity Category & Static Dynamic Loaded All Loads
Inspection Criteria Loaded (Nontubular) (Tubular)
(Nontubular)
Crack: The weld shall have no Applicable Applicable Applicable
crack
Weld/base metal fusion: Through Applicable Applicable Applicable
fusion shall exist between weld
metal to weld metal and base
metal
Crater:- All craters shall be filled up Applicable Applicable Applicable
to the full cross section except for
the ends of the intermittent fillet
welds outside the effective length
Weld Profiles: Shall be in Applicable Applicable Applicable
conformance to 5.24
Time of Inspection: Immediately Applicable Applicable Applicable
after the completed weld reaches
the ambient temp. For ASTM
A514, A517, A709 not less than 48
 Visual Inspection Acceptance
Limit – Piping - as per BS 5289
 Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of

the following faculty members for developing
this module

 Mr. A. K. Bose
 Mr. N. Sadasivan
 Mr. R. Banerjee
 Mr. Hiren Patel
 Mr. V. Muralidharan
Thank You