WORLD CENTRE FOR MATERIALS JOINING TECHNOLOGY

PR15464 March 2010

Welding and Fitness-For-Service of Weldolet® Fittings

For: A Group of Sponsors

Summary
Bonney Forge Weldolet® branch connection fittings and similar integrally self-reinforced butt welded set-on
branch connections are used as a more functional and cost-effective alternatives to welding tees or
reinforcement pads in pressure vessels, piping systems and pipelines. In spite of both manufacturer
guidance and piping code requirements, there is a widespread lack of understanding in the user community
regarding welding. In addition, inspection of such connections with conventional non-destructive techniques
has proved problematic. One frequent query concerns the extent of welding. Fitting manufacturers and
ASME piping codes require complete welding of the bevel portion of the fitting, taking care to provide a
smooth tapered weld. Since these connections are typically purchased ’off the shelf’, one might assume that
partial welding of the bevel (especially on low-pressure applications) may be acceptable from a
reinforcement point of view. However, this invalidates manufacturers’ design warranty and increases the risk
of stress concentration and hence of fatigue. On the other hand, fully-penetrated welds required by
improperly designed or improperly specified fittings, especially for large branch connections on large
diameter headers with thin walls, can increase risk of distortion in the header.

In short, specifying and installing integrally self-reinforced branch connection fittings (Bonney Forge
®
Weldolets or similar integrally self-reinforced butt welded set-on branch connections) is often treated as
though they were standardised ‘off the shelf’ fittings when they are engineered fittings requiring close
communication between manufacturer, specifier, installer and user. This project will address these issues
through the development of data and preparation of a guidance document on welding, inspection and
fitness-for-service assessment.

The above image is courtesy of Bonney Forge Corporation (www.bonneyforge.com). Weldolet® and other Olet® trademarks are
registered trademarks of Bonney Forge Corporation and/or its affiliated companies. The Olet® trademarks, brands and product names
belong exclusively to Bonney Forge Corporation and/or its affiliated companies, and are protected from copying and simulation under
national and international trademark and copyright laws and treaties throughout the world.

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2010

Background
Bonney Forge Weldolet® branch connection fittings and similar integrally self-reinforced butt welded
set-on branch connections are economical butt-welded connections designed to minimise stress
concentrations and provide integral reinforcement, and are manufactured to meet specific
reinforcement requirements. These connections are in use in all types of piping systems and are
constructed of many materials, eg C-Mn steels, Cr-Mo steels and stainless steels including duplex
grades, and they find use in a wide range of operating temperatures and pressures. Though widely
used in pressure systems and designed to provide reinforcement, relevant information is not easily
available in open literature on their design and stress analysis. The lack of standardised guidance on
Weldolet® fittings and similar forged branch connections is the root cause of a number of issues
associated with weld design, leading to lack of control of fatigue and creep resistance and distortion.

Weldolet® fittings and similar forged branch connections can be classified as set-on branch
connections, for which international codes (eg ASME B31.1, B31.3 and ASME Sec III) require a full
penetration butt weld, with a superimposed fillet (with a leg length equal to the lesser of 0.7 x nominal
thickness of the branch pipe or ¼in). Nevertheless, the joint design will change if the header needs to
be reinforced to compensate for the hole cut into it. In the event, Weldolet® fittings are intended to
simplify fabrication with respect to the question of how much reinforcement is required; ie they provide
full strength restoration to the header, with the bulk of the "replacement area" provided in the branch
and not the header.

With regard to non-destructive testing, the joint design for welding the fitting to the header and the
shape of the fitting itself make volumetric inspection difficult both during fabrication and in service.
Codes and standards do not provide explicit requirements for inspection of welds between such
branch connections and headers. For instance, ASME B31.3 implicitly considers forged branch
connections to be not inspectable, except for surface inspection. In addition, acceptance levels for
volumetric flaws or metal loss due to corrosion are not explicitly specified. In the past, various different
®
defect types have been reported in Weldolet and similar branch connections due to fatigue and
creep, eg in high-pressure steam lines with operating temperatures in excess of 500ºC, within the
petrochemical industry.

Work carried out by Kronemeijer et al (2006), demonstrated that Weldolet® branch connections can
be inspected successfully for cracks at high temperatures using Eddy Currents and the single sided
Time-of-Flight Diffraction technique (V-ToFD). This work covered both the detection and sizing of
external and internal cracks. The techniques listed in Table 1 were reviewed for suitability of in-service
on-stream inspections of forged branch connections.

Detection Hot Ambient

External cracks Eddy Current Technique Magnetic Particle Inspection
Acoustic Emission Eddy Current Technique
Acoustic Emission
Internal cracks ToFD / V-ToFD ToFD / V-ToFD
Phased Array Phased Array
EMAT (Angle beam) EMAT (Angle beam)
Phased Array EMAT Phased Array EMAT
Acoustic Emission Acoustic Emission
Table 1: Possible techniques considered for detection and sizing of internal and external cracks in
Weldolet® and similar branch connections

This Group Sponsored Project will address the various issues through development of data to allow
the preparation of a guidance document on design, welding, inspection and fitness-for-service
assessment of Weldolet® and similar branch connections.

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2010


Objectives
 To establish best practice for the welding
of Weldolets and similar forged branch
connections.
 To develop a procedure for inspection
during fabrication and in service of
Weldolets and similar forged branch
connections.
 To derive a fitness-for-service (FFS)
methodology to flaw acceptance for
Weldolet and similar forged branch
connections.
Benefits
 Optimise the volume of weld metal, hence
reducing welding times and costs where
possible, whilst maintaining integrity.
 Increase confidence in the effectiveness of
inspection.
 FFS methods will identify where relaxation
of acceptance criteria for NDT is possible,
with consequent time and cost reduction.
Approach
Materials
The selection of material grades, thicknesses
and product forms will be agreed with the
Sponsors. It is anticipated that at least three
grades, spanning the range commonly used,
will be examined.
The project will be implemented in a phased
manner as described below:
Phase 1: Industrial Use Review
The first phase of the project will consist of:
 Review of current applications and
development of a matrix of branch
connections where forged connections (eg
Weldolets) are commonly used. The
matrix will include variables such as
operating/design temperature and
pressure, material, grade, sizes,
applicable codes and standards.
 Selection of a range of conditions which
will form the basis of the subsequent weld
design, inspection and assessment tasks,
in agreement with the Sponsors.
Phase 2: Weld Design
Stress analysis will be performed for the
selected range of branch connectors (eg
Copyright © TWI Ltd 2010
®
Weldolets ) and pipe sizes, by both finite
element and testing to determine, to the
relevant construction codes, the required
reinforcement, ie weld size, with respect to:
 Static loading
 Fatigue service
 High temperature service
Phase 3: Welding
The information generated in Phase 2 will be
used, together with published information and
TWI expertise, to generate best practice
guidelines for:
 Joint preparation requirements (fit up
tolerances etc).
 The requirement to fill the bevel.
 Joint cleanliness requirements.
 Welding process selection.
 Shielding and purging requirements in the
case of stainless steel fittings.
Phase 4: Manufacture of Test Samples
A number of welded connections will be made
for subsequent inspection and mechanical
testing. The branch connection types and the
consumables will be selected with the
Sponsors. It is anticipated that at least two
conditions of fully welded and two partially
welded branch connections will be produced
for each combination of material grade and
thickness. It is proposed to weld samples with
deliberately induced embedded flaws, to assist
trials on inspectability using different
inspection techniques.
Phase 5: NDT
A procedure for inspection of Weldolets and
similar forged branch connections will be
developed. Phased array is anticipated as the
preferred method. However, NDT techniques
will be chosen frokm those in Table 1, in
agreement with the Sponsors.
Phase 6: Assessment of test welds
The completed welds will be subject to a visual
assessment on both faces, followed by NDE
and mechanical testing. Inspection will involve
of the procedures developed in Phase 5.
Mechanical tests, including burst tests and
cyclic loading tests, will be performed, as
agreed with the Sponsors.
 Phase 7: Fitness for service (FFS) Launch Meeting
methodology
Date: Tuesday 27 April 2010
Guidance on carrying out FFS assessments Time: 13.30hrs (buffet lunch from 12.30hrs)
for Weldolet® fittings and similar forged branch Venue: TWI Ltd, Granta Park, Great Abington,
connections will be developed. This will be Cambridge, CB21 6AL, UK
based on the existing fracture assessment
procedures of BS 7910. However, these For further information please contact:
current procedures address flaws in more
straightforward geometries like circumferential Sayee Raghunathan
or longitudinal flaws in cylinders. There is Telephone: +44 (0) 1223 899000
therefore need for guidance on how to adapt E-mail: sayee.raghunathan@twi.co.uk
these existing solutions for application to these
specific joints. Marcello Consonni
Telephone: +44 (0) 1223 899000
It is proposed to develop guidance for the E-mail: marcello.consonni@twi.co.uk
following:

 Selecting the most appropriate geometry

to use in assessments
 Selecting the necessary materials
properties data (eg, tensile properties and
fracture toughness)
 Determining the stresses experienced by
these welds (including service stresses
and welding residual stresses).

Deliverables
Progress reports will be issued at 6 month
intervals, shortly before Sponsor Group
meetings, and a final report, including details,
results and conclusions of all work will be
prepared at the end of the project.
Based on the results obtained, detailed
practical guidelines will be developed which
will facilitate design, fabrication, inspection and
FFS assessment of Weldolets® and similar
branch connections. This will include:
 Installation design guidelines.
 Guidelines for welding.
 Guidelines for inspection during fabrication
and in-service.
 Guidelines for FFS assessment.

Price and Duration

The project price is estimated as £400k and
the duration is expected to be 24 months. The
anticipated budget per company is £50k (£25k
per year), requiring eight Sponsors for full
funding. The project would commence when
four Sponsors have joined, with an agreed
scope of work.

TWI TWI Ltd, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6AL, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1223 899000 Fax: +44 (0)1223 892588