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The backing must be thick enough to withstand the heat of the root pass as it
is burned in. A backing strip may be used on butt joints, tee joints, and
outside corner joints.
The backing may be either left on the finished (cofferdam or void
space closing welds without both-sides accessibility) weld or removed
following welding (Ceramic backing, Copper strips). If the backing is to
be removed, the letter R is placed in the backing symbol.
The backing is often removed from a finished weld because it can be a source
of stress concentration and a crevice to promote rusting.
There are several reasons to remove a backing strip from a weld. The strip
can collect moisture and cause the part to rust. A backing strip can keep a
weldment from bending evenly under a heavy load, and if it cannot bend
uniformly, it will break.
The high heat conductivity of a copper backing bar or strip, for example, will
prevent it from sticking to the weld metal, while its chill-mold effect will
assure a clean, smooth weld metal surface. Electrolytic copper has proven to
be the most satisfactory material for backing up a weld.