THE WELDING INSTITUTE

Terms and Definitions:

A Weld: ______________________________________________________
A Union of Materials Caused by Heat and/or Pressure
i.e. “The Process of Welding”_
_______________________

A Joint: A Configuration of Members

______________________________

In this sense “To be Welded”

_________________________

Welding Inspection of Steels WIS 5 2.1 WORLD CENTRE FOR

Section 02 Terms & Definitions MATERIALS JOINING
Rev 30-03-07 Copyright  2007 TWI Middle East TECHNOLOGY
 THE WELDING INSTITUTE

Types of common welds

Butt Welds

Fillet Welds

Spot/Seam Welds

Plug/Slot Welds

Edge Welds

Welding Inspection of Steels WIS 5 2.2 WORLD CENTRE FOR

Section 02 Terms & Definitions MATERIALS JOINING
Rev 30-03-07 Copyright  2007 TWI Middle East TECHNOLOGY
 THE WELDING INSTITUTE

Types of common joints

Butt Joints

T Joints

Lap Joints

Open Corner Joints Closed Corner Joints

Welding Inspection of Steels WIS 5 2.3 WORLD CENTRE FOR

Section 02 Terms & Definitions MATERIALS JOINING
Rev 30-03-07 Copyright  2007 TWI Middle East TECHNOLOGY
 THE WELDING INSTITUTE

Weld Preparations
When welding, we need to fully fuse the entire width of the faces of both members.
Mostly, we need to prepare or remove metal from the joint to allow access for the
process, for full fusion of the faces. Grinding, flame/arc cutting, or machining for this
operation, but grinding back 1 or 2 mm may be required after flame/arc cutting.

Bevel angle

Root face Included angle

Root gap
Root radius

Root landing

The purpose of a weld preparation is to allow access for the welding process, penetration
and fusion through the complete area of the joint and its faces. The function of the root
gap is to allow penetration. The function of the root face is to remove excess heat and act
as a heat sink. The higher the arc energy of the process, then generally the wider is the
root face.

The simple rule is this: The more taken out then the more must be replaced.

Welding Inspection of Steels WIS 5 2.4 WORLD CENTRE FOR

Section 02 Terms & Definitions MATERIALS JOINING
Rev 30-03-07 Copyright  2007 TWI Middle East TECHNOLOGY
 THE WELDING INSTITUTE

Single Sided Butt Weld Preparations

Single Bevel

Single V

Single J

Single U

Single sided preparations are normally made on thinner materials, or when access from
both sides is restricted.

The selection may be also influenced by the capability of the welding process and the
position of the joint, or the positional capability of available welding consumables, or the
skill level available.

Welding Inspection of Steels WIS 5 2.5 WORLD CENTRE FOR

Section 02 Terms & Definitions MATERIALS JOINING
Rev 30-03-07 Copyright  2007 TWI Middle East TECHNOLOGY
 THE WELDING INSTITUTE

Double Sided Butt Weld Preparations

Double Bevel

Double V

Double J

Double U

Double sided preparations are normally made on thicker materials, and when access from
both sides is unrestricted. They may also be used to control the effect of distortion, and
in controlling economics, by reducing weld volume when welding thicker sections.
It should be noted that it is not uncommon to find weld preparations that are of a
compound or asymmetrical nature. Values & applications given below are only typical:

60º 35º 20º c. 35º

1/3
a. b.
2/3 15º
60º

a) An asymmetrical preparation (1/3 + 2/3) may be used to control/reduce the effects

of contraction stresses and distortion when access to both sides is restricted.

b) A compound angle preparation, used to reduce weld metal costs in thicker section.

c) An asymmetrical bevel preparation, sometimes used in positional welding. 2G/PC

Welding Inspection of Steels WIS 5 2.6 WORLD CENTRE FOR

Section 02 Terms & Definitions MATERIALS JOINING
Rev 30-03-07 Copyright  2007 TWI Middle East TECHNOLOGY
 THE WELDING INSTITUTE

Welded Butt Joints

A Butt Welded Butt Joint

A Fillet Welded Butt Joint

A Compound Welded Butt Joint

Welding Inspection of Steels WIS 5 2.7 WORLD CENTRE FOR

Section 02 Terms & Definitions MATERIALS JOINING
Rev 30-03-07 Copyright  2007 TWI Middle East TECHNOLOGY
 THE WELDING INSTITUTE

Welded T Joints

A Fillet Welded T Joint

A Butt Welded T Joint

A Compound Welded T Joint

Welding Inspection of Steels WIS 5 2.8 WORLD CENTRE FOR

Section 02 Terms & Definitions MATERIALS JOINING
Rev 30-03-07 Copyright  2007 TWI Middle East TECHNOLOGY
 THE WELDING INSTITUTE

Welded Lap Joints

A Fillet Welded Lap Joint

A Spot Welded Lap Joint

A Compound Welded Lap Joint

(Not commonly used)

Welding Inspection of Steels WIS 5 2.9 WORLD CENTRE FOR

Section 02 Terms & Definitions MATERIALS JOINING
Rev 30-03-07 Copyright  2007 TWI Middle East TECHNOLOGY
 THE WELDING INSTITUTE

Welded Closed Corner Joints

A Fillet Welded Closed Corner Joint

A Butt Welded Closed Corner Joint

A Compound Welded Closed Corner Joint

Welding Inspection of Steels WIS 5 2.10 WORLD CENTRE FOR

Section 02 Terms & Definitions MATERIALS JOINING
Rev 30-03-07 Copyright  2007 TWI Middle East TECHNOLOGY
 THE WELDING INSTITUTE

Welded Open Corner Joints

An Inside Fillet Welded Open Corner Joint

An Outside Fillet Welded Open Corner Joint

A Double Fillet Welded Open Corner Joint

Welding Inspection of Steels WIS 5 2.11 WORLD CENTRE FOR
Section 02 Terms & Definitions MATERIALS JOINING
Rev 30-03-07 Copyright  2007 TWI Middle East TECHNOLOGY
 THE WELDING INSTITUTE

Terms used in a Butt Welded Butt Joint

Weld Face
Actual Throat Thickness
Weld Width

1.2.3.4. = Weld Toes Design Throat Thickness

1 2

3 4

B
HAZ
Fusion Boundary
Weld Root Or Weld Junction
Fusion Zone

A & B = Excess Weld Metal

(Excess to the Design Requirement or DTT)

Welding Inspection of Steels WIS 5 2.12 WORLD CENTRE FOR

Section 02 Terms & Definitions MATERIALS JOINING
Rev 30-03-07 Copyright  2007 TWI Middle East TECHNOLOGY
 THE WELDING INSTITUTE

Terms used in a Fillet Welded T Joint

Vertical Leg Length

Weld Face

Horizontal Leg Length

Excess Weld Metal
Design Throat Thickness (DTT)
Actual Throat Thickness (ATT)

In visual inspection it is usually the leg length that is used to size fillet welded joints. It is
possible to find the design throat thickness easily by multiplying the leg length by 0.7

The excess weld metal can be measured by taking the measurable throat reading, then by
deducting the design throat thickness calculated above.

Example:

If the leg length of a convex fillet weld is measured at 10 mm, then the design throat
thickness = 10 x 0.7 which is 7mm

If the actual measured throat thickness is 8.5 mm then the excess weld metal is calculated
as: 8.5 – 7mm = 1.5mm excess weld metal

Welding Inspection of Steels WIS 5 2.13 WORLD CENTRE FOR

Section 02 Terms & Definitions MATERIALS JOINING
Rev 30-03-07 Copyright  2007 TWI Middle East TECHNOLOGY
 THE WELDING INSTITUTE

Design Throat Thickness (DTT)

Nominal and Effective

Equal Leg Lengths z

z z

a s

“a” = A ‘Nominal’ design throat thickness (DTT)

“s” = An ‘Effective’ design throat thickness (DTT) (Deep penetration fillets welds)

When using deep penetrating welding processes with high current density it is possible
to create deeper throat dimensions. This added line of fusion may be used in design
calculations to carry stresses and is thus a major design advantage in reducing the
overall weight of welds on large welded structures.

The basic effect of current density in electrode wires is explained graphically in Section
12 on page 12.9 of this text.

This throat notation “a” or “s” is used in BS EN 22553 for weld symbols on drawings as
dimensioning convention for the above types of fillet welds throughout Europe.

Welding Inspection of Steels WIS 5 2.14 WORLD CENTRE FOR

Section 02 Terms & Definitions MATERIALS JOINING
Rev 30-03-07 Copyright  2007 TWI Middle East TECHNOLOGY
 THE WELDING INSTITUTE

Fillet Weld Profiles

Mitre
____________________

ATT = DTT

Convex
____________________
ATT

DTT

Concave
____________________

ATT = DTT

In joints that are to be loaded with cyclic stresses concave fillet welds are the preferred profile as
this will minimise stress concentration and reduce possible sites for fatigue crack initiation.
In critical applications it may be a requirement of the welding procedure that the toes are lightly
ground or may also be flushed in (dressed) using a TIG arc (without additions of filler material) to
remove any notches that may be present.

Welding Inspection of Steels WIS 5 2.15 WORLD CENTRE FOR

Section 02 Terms & Definitions MATERIALS JOINING
Rev 30-03-07 Copyright  2007 TWI Middle East TECHNOLOGY
 THE WELDING INSTITUTE

Welding Positions: (As extracted from BS 499: Part 1: 1991 Figure 38)
Graphical Representation for Butt Welds UK (USA) ISO/BS EN

1G PA

1G Flat Position (Rotated) Flat Position 1G

2G PC

2G Horizontal Vertical Position 2G

PF PF
Vertical up
3G
PG PG
Vertical down
3G Vertical Position 3G

4G PE

4G Overhead Position
(Pipe axis fixed horizontal)
PF
PF Vertical up
5G
PG PG
Vertical down
5G Vertical Position

6G H-LO45
45°

6G Inclined Position (Fixed)

Welding Inspection of Steels WIS 5 2.16 WORLD CENTRE FOR
Section 02 Terms & Definitions MATERIALS JOINING
Rev 30-03-07 Copyright  2007 TWI Middle East TECHNOLOGY
 THE WELDING INSTITUTE

Graphical Representation for Fillet Welds UK (USA) ISO/BS EN

1F L-45/PA

45° 45°
(Weld throat vertical)
1F Flat Position Flat Position (Rotated) 1FR 1FR L-45/PA

2F PB

2F Horizontal Vertical Position 2F

Pipe Rotated
2FR PB

2FR (Pipe axis horizontal) 2FR

(Weld axis vertical)
PF
PF Vertical up

3F PG
PG Vertical down

3F Vertical Position 3F
(Weld axis horizontal)

4F PD

4F Overhead Position 4F
(Pipe axis horizontal) PF
PF
PF
Vertical up
5F
PG PG PG
Vertical down
5F Vertical Position 5F

Welding Inspection of Steels WIS 5 2.17 WORLD CENTRE FOR

Section 02 Terms & Definitions MATERIALS JOINING
Rev 30-03-07 Copyright  2007 TWI Middle East TECHNOLOGY
 THE WELDING INSTITUTE

Summary of Weld and Joint Terms and Definitions:

A Weld: A Union of materials, produced by heat and/or pressure

(The process of Welding)

A Joint: A Configuration of members (To be Welded)

A weld preparation: Preparing a joint to allow access & fusion through the
joint faces

Types of weld: Butt. Fillet. Spot. Seam. Plug. Slot. Edge

Types of joint: Butts. T’s. Laps. Open corners. Closed corners

Types of preparation: Bevel’s. V’s. J’s. U’s

Single & double sided

Preparation terms: Bevel angle. Included angle. Root face. Root gap.
Root radius. Root landing

Weldment terms: Weld face

Weld root
Fusion zone
Fusion boundary
Heat affected zone (HAZ)
Weld toes
Weld width

Weld sizing: (Butts) Design throat thickness (DTT)

Actual throat thickness (ATT)
Excess weld metal (Weld face)
Excess weld metal (Root penetration bead)

Weld sizing: (Fillets) Design throat thickness (DTT)

Actual throat thickness (ATT)
Excess weld metal (Weld face)
Leg length

Welding Inspection of Steels WIS 5 2.18 WORLD CENTRE FOR

Section 02 Terms & Definitions MATERIALS JOINING
Rev 30-03-07 Copyright  2007 TWI Middle East TECHNOLOGY
 THE WELDING INSTITUTE

WIS 5 Section 2 Exercises:

Complete the exercises below by inserting all information in the spaces as provided?

Insert the BSEN welding position as given in the diagram below:

P __
P__
PA
P__
PB
PC
P__
PD
PE
PF P__
P__
PG P __

Insert the remaining terms for:

A Single U Preparation Butt Joint

Included angle

Welding Inspection of Steels WIS 5 2.19 WORLD CENTRE FOR

Section 02 Terms & Definitions MATERIALS JOINING
Rev 30-03-07 Copyright  2007 TWI Middle East TECHNOLOGY
 THE WELDING INSTITUTE

A Single V Butt Welded Butt Joint

1 2

3 4

or Weld Junction

A+B=

Identify and list 4 more types of common welds and joints:

Types of Weld Types of Joint

1) Butt Weld 1) Butt Joint
2) 2)
3) 3)
4) 4)
5) 5)

1) A joint containing more than one type of weld is termed a _______________welded joint

2) A joint containing two of the same type of weld is termed a ______________welded joint

Welding Inspection of Steels WIS 5 2.20 WORLD CENTRE FOR

Section 02 Terms & Definitions MATERIALS JOINING
Rev 30-03-07 Copyright  2007 TWI Middle East TECHNOLOGY
 THE WELDING INSTITUTE

Insert the remaining terms that may be used in the sizing of a fillet weld:

Weld Face

State the main reasons for a weld preparation:

Welding Inspection of Steels WIS 5 2.21 WORLD CENTRE FOR

Section 02 Terms & Definitions MATERIALS JOINING
Rev 30-03-07 Copyright  2007 TWI Middle East TECHNOLOGY