WIS5 Defect 05

M.
Rogers
WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY
Welding Inspection
Welding Imperfections
Course notes section reference 3
Copyright © 2005 TWI Ltd World Centre for Materials Joining Technology
M.Rogers
WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY Faults in Fusion Welds
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY Faults in Fusion Welds
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WI 3.1
Weld Defect Classification
Defects can be grouped under three main
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classifications
Planar Defects: linear from at least one dimension
• Cracks
• Lack of fusion
Linear Volumetric Defects: Linear in length with volume
• Slag lines
• lack of fusion with associated slag
• Piping.
Non-planar defects: rounded indications without significat length
• Slag inclusions
• Gas pores/blow holes.
• Other matallic and non-metallic inclusions
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WI 3.1
Faults in Fusion Welds
Defects which may be detected by visual inspection
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can be grouped under the following headings
 Cracks  Lack of fusion
 Solid inclusions  Mechanical damage
 Surface and profiles  Parent material damage
 Misalignment (set-up  Miscellaneous

irregularities)
 Gas pores and porosity
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY
Cracks
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TECHNOLOGY Cracks
Weld Metal Hydrogen Cracking HAZ Hydrogen Cracking
Solidification Cracking Lamellar Tearing
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WI 3.1
Cracks
Cracks that may occur in welded materials are caused
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generally by many factors and may be classified by

shape and position, cracks are classed as planar.
Classified by Shape Classified by Position

 Longitudinal  HAZ
 Transverse  Centreline
 Branched  Crater
 Fusion zone
 Chevron
 Parent metal
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY
Transverse crack Longitudinal crack

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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY
Inclusions
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WI 3.1
Gas Cavities
Gas pore <1.5mm Blow hole.>1.6mm
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Gas pore Cluster porosity

 Loss of gas shield
 Damp electrodes
 Contamination
Blow hole
Herringbone porosity  Arc length too large
 Damaged electrode flux
 Moisture on parent material
 Welding current too low

Root piping / wormholes
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY Gas Cavities
Porosity
Root piping
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY
Cluster porosity Herringbone porosity

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WI 3.1
Solid Inclusions
Slag inclusions are defined as a non-metallic inclusion
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caused by some welding process

 Slag originates from welding
flux
 MAG and TIG welding
process produce silica
Slag inclusions Lack of sidewall inclusions
fusion with
associated slag
 Slag is caused by
inadequate cleaning
 Other inclusions include
tungsten and copper
inclusions from the TIG and
Parallel slag lines Lack of interun
fusion + slag MAG welding process
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY Solid Inclusions
Lack of interun fusion + slag

Lack of sidewall fusion + slag
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY
Interpass slag inclusions Elongated slag lines

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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY
Lack of Fusion
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY Lack of Fusion
 Poor welder skill

 Incorrect electrode
manipulation
Incomplete filled groove
+ Lack of sidewall fusion  Arc blow
 Incorrect welding
1 current/voltage
2
 Incorrect travel speed
1. Lack of sidewall fusion  Incorrect inter-run cleaning
2. Lack of inter-run fusion
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY Lack of Fusion
Lack of sidewall fusion + incomplete filled groove
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WI 3.1
Overlap
An imperfection at the toe or root of a weld caused by
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metal flowing on to the surface of the parent metal

without fusing to it
 Contamination
 Slow travel speed
 Incorrect welding technique
 Current too low
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY Overlap
Toe Overlap
Butt weld
Toe Overlap
Fillet weld
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY Weld Root Defects
 Low Amps/volts
 Large Root face
Lack of root fusion  Small Root Gap
 Fast Travel Speed
 Incorrect Electrode Angle
Incomplete root penetration  Contamination

 Arc blow
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY Weld Root Defects
Lack of root fusion Incomplete root

Penetration
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY
Lack of root penetration Lack of root fusion

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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY
Surface & Profile
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY Weld Profile Defects
Incomplete filled groove Poor cap profile
Poor cap profiles and

excessive cap reinforcements
may lead to stress
concentration points at the
weld toes and will also
contribute to overall poor toe Excessive cap height
blend
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WI 3.1
Poor Cap Profile & Poor Toe Blend
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY
Excess cap reinforcement Incomplete filled groove

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WI 3.1
Poor stop/starts
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY
Miscellaneous Defects
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY Miscellaneous Defects
Spatter
 Excessive current
 Damp electrodes
 Contamination
 Incorrect wire feed speed

when welding with the MAG
welding process
 Arc blow
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY Miscellaneous Defects
 Accidental striking of the arc

onto the parent material
 Faulty electrode holder
 Poor cable insulation
 Poor return lead clamping

Arc strike
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WI 3.1
Cap & Root Undercut
An irregular groove at the toe of a weld run in the
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parent metal
 Excessive amps/volts
 Excessive travel speed
 Incorrect electrode angle
 Excessive weaving
 Incorrect welding technique
 Electrode too large
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY Cap Undercut
Intermittent Cap Undercut

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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY
Root undercut Cap undercut

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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY Weld Root Defect
A shallow groove caused by contraction in the weld

metal along each side of the penetration bead
 Insufficient weld metal

deposited in the root pass
 Too fast a cooling rate during

the application of the root
bead pass
Shrinkage groove  Poor welding technique
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WI 3.1
A shallow groove, which may occur in the root of a butt weld
 Root gap too large
 Excessive back purge pressure

during TIG welding
 Excessive root bead grinding

before the application of the
Concave root
second pass
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WI 3.1
Concave Root
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WI 3.1
Root penetration bead in excess in accordance with the

relevant specification being used
 Root faces too small
 Root gap too large
 Excessive amps/volts
Excessive root penetration  Slow travel speed
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WI 3.1
Excessive root
penetration
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY
Concave root Excess root penetration

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WI 3.1
A localized collapse of the weld pool due to excessive

penetration resulting in a hole in the root run
 High Amps/volts
 Small Root face
 Large Root Gap
 Slow Travel Speed

Burn through
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WI 3.1
Weld Root Defect
Burn Through
TECHNOLOGY
M.Rogers
WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY Oxidized Root (Root Coking)
 Loss or insufficient back

purging gas
 Most commonly occurs

when welding stainless
steels
 Purging gases include

argon, helium and
occasionally nitrogen
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY Crater Pipe
Weld crater
Crater pipe
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WI 3.1
Crater Pipe
Crater pipe is a shrinkage defect and not a gas defect, it
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has the appearance of a gas pore in the weld crater
Crater cracks  Too fast a cooling rate

(Star cracks)
 Deoxidization
reactions and liquid to
solid volume change
 Contamination
Crater pipe
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WI 3.1
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Mechanical Damage
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WI 3.1
Mechanical Damage
Mechanical damage can be defined as any surface material
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damage cause during the manufacturing process.

This can included damage caused by:
 Grinding
 Hammering
 Chiselling
 Chipping
 Breaking off welded attachments (torn surfaces)
 Using needle guns to compress weld capping runs

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WI 3.1
Mechanical Damage
Chipping Marks
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Mechanical Damage/Grinding Mark
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY
Set-up Irregularities
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY Unequal Leg Lengths
A variation of leg lengths on a fillet weld
Note: Unequal leg lengths on a fillet weld may be specified

as part of the design, in which case it will not be
considered as a defect.
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY Set-up Irregularities
Linear misalignment is
measured from the lowest
plate to the highest point.
Plate/pipe Linear Misalignment
(Hi-Lo)
Angular misalignment is
measured in degrees
Angular Misalignment
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WI 3.1
Linear Misalignment
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WI 3.1
Linear Misalignment
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WI 3.1
Any Questions
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Copyright © 2005 TWI Ltd

?
World Centre for Materials Joining Technology
M.Rogers
WI 3.1
Questions
Weld Defects
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QU 1. Give two main causes for the occurrence of a burn through
QU 2. Give two main causes for the occurrence of excessive root

penetration on a single-V butt weld
QU 3. Give five defects, which may occur when welding carbon

steel using the MMA welding process with the current setting
to low
QU 4. Give three possible causes for the occurrence of lack of

side wall fusion
QU 5. Sketch the following defects

a. Lack of root wall fusion b. Lack of root penetration
c. Incomplete filled groove d. Concave root
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY
Material Inspection
Course notes section references 6
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY Material Inspection
All materials arriving on site should be inspected for:
 Size / dimensions
 Condition
 Type / specification
In addition other elements may need to be considered

depending on the materials form or shape
M.Rogers
WI 3.1
Material Inspection
Parent material defects include:
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Mechanical damage Lap
Lamination
Segregation line
Laminations are caused in the parent plate by the steel making
process, originating from ingot casting defects.
Segregation bands occur in the centre of the plate and are low
melting point impurities such as sulphur and phosphorous.
Laps are caused during rolling when overlapping metal does not
fuse to the base material.
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY Material Inspection
Plate Lamination
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WI 3.1
Weld Repairs
Course notes section references 16
TECHNOLOGY
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WI 3.1
TECHNOLOGY Weld Repairs
In the event of repair
 Authorization for repair
 Removal and preparation for repair
 Testing of repair - visual and NDT
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WI 3.1
Weld Repairs
 A weld repair may be used to improve weld profiles or
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extensive metal removal

 Repairs to fabrication defects are generally easier than
repairs to service failures because the repair procedure
may be followed
 The main problem with repairing a weld is the
maintenance of mechanical properties
 During the inspection of the removed area prior to welding
the inspector must ensure that the defects have been
totally removed and the original joint profile has been
maintained as close as possible
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WI 3.1
Weld Repairs
The specification or procedure will govern how the defective
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areas are to be removed. The method of removal may be
 Grinding
 Chipping
 Machining
 Filing
 Oxy-Gas gouging
 Arc air gouging
M.Rogers
WI 3.1
Any Questions
TECHNOLOGY
Copyright © 2005 TWI Ltd

?
World Centre for Materials Joining Technology
M.Rogers
WI 3.1
Questions
Weld Repairs
TECHNOLOGY
QU 1. State six points of importance of repair welding.
QU 2. State two NDT methods that may be applied to a repair in a

weld
QU 3. State three documents, which the inspector should refer to

when carrying out repairs.
QU 4. In some cases why might a specification not allow a crack to

be repaired, regardless of size and orientation?

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M.

can be grouped under the following headings

 Cracks  Lack of fusion

 Solid inclusions  Mechanical damage

 Surface and profiles  Parent material damage

 Misalignment (set-up  Miscellaneous

 Gas pores and porosity

Weld Metal Hydrogen Cracking HAZ Hydrogen Cracking

Solidification Cracking Lamellar Tearing

generally by many factors and may be classified by

Classified by Shape Classified by Position

Transverse crack Longitudinal crack

Gas pore Cluster porosity

 Damaged electrode flux

 Moisture on parent material

 Welding current too low

Cluster porosity Herringbone porosity

caused by some welding process

Lack of interun fusion + slag

Interpass slag inclusions Elongated slag lines

 Poor welder skill

Lack of sidewall fusion + incomplete filled groove

metal flowing on to the surface of the parent metal

 Slow travel speed

 Incorrect welding technique

 Current too low

 Large Root face

Lack of root fusion  Small Root Gap

 Fast Travel Speed

 Incorrect Electrode Angle

Incomplete root penetration  Contamination

Lack of root fusion Incomplete root

Lack of root penetration Lack of root fusion

Surface & Profile

Incomplete filled groove Poor cap profile

Poor cap profiles and

Poor Cap Profile & Poor Toe Blend

Excess cap reinforcement Incomplete filled groove

 Incorrect wire feed speed

 Accidental striking of the arc

 Faulty electrode holder

 Poor cable insulation

 Poor return lead clamping

 Excessive travel speed

 Incorrect electrode angle

 Incorrect welding technique

 Electrode too large

Intermittent Cap Undercut

Root undercut Cap undercut

A shallow groove caused by contraction in the weld

 Insufficient weld metal

 Too fast a cooling rate during

 Root gap too large

 Excessive back purge pressure

 Excessive root bead grinding

Root penetration bead in excess in accordance with the

 Root faces too small

 Root gap too large

Concave root Excess root penetration

A localized collapse of the weld pool due to excessive

 Small Root face

 Large Root Gap

 Slow Travel Speed

 Loss or insufficient back