Radiographic Interpretation
Weld Defects & Repairs
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Faults in Fusion Welds
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Faults in Fusion Welds
Defects which may be detected by visual inspection can be grouped under the following headings Cracks Solid inclusions Surface and profiles Misalignment (set-up irregularities) Gas pores and porosity
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Lack of fusion
Mechanical damage
Parent material damage
Miscellaneous
Cracks
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Cracks
Cracks that may occur in welded materials are caused generally by many factors and may be classified by shape and position, cracks are classed as planar.
Classified by Shape Longitudinal Transverse Branched Chevron
Classified by Position HAZ
Centreline
Crater Fusion zone Parent metal
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Process Cracks
Hydrogen induced cold cracking (HICC)
Solidification cracking (Hot Tearing) Lamellar tearing
Re heat cracking
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Cracks
Longitudinal parent metal crack
Transverse weld metal crack
Longitudinal weld metal crack
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Lamellar tearing
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Transverse crack
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Longitudinal crack
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Inclusions
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Gas Cavities
Gas pore <1.5mm Blow hole.>1.6mm
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
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Gas Cavities
Porosity
Root piping
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Cluster porosity
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Herringbone porosity
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Solid Inclusions
Slag inclusions are defined as a non-metallic inclusion caused by some welding process Slag originates from welding flux MAG and TIG welding process produce silica inclusions Slag is caused by inadequate cleaning Other inclusions include tungsten and copper inclusions from the TIG and MAG welding process
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Slag inclusions
Lack of sidewall fusion with associated slag
Parallel slag lines Lack of interun fusion + slag
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Interpass slag inclusions
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Elongated slag lines
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Lack of Fusion
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Lack of Fusion
Poor welder skill Incorrect electrode Incomplete filled groove + Lack of sidewall fusion
manipulation
Arc blow Incorrect welding
1 2
current/voltage Incorrect travel speed
1. Lack of sidewall fusion Incorrect inter-run cleaning 2. Lack of inter-run fusion
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Overlap
An imperfection at the toe or root of a weld caused by 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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Overlap
Toe Overlap Butt weld
Toe Overlap Fillet weld
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Weld Root Defects
Low Amps/volts Large Root face Incomplete root fusion Small Root Gap Fast Travel Speed Incorrect Electrode Angle Incomplete root penetration Contamination Arc blow
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Weld Root Defects
Lack of root fusion
Lack of root Penetration
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Lack of root penetration
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Lack of root fusion
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Surface & Profile
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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 blend
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Excessive cap height
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Excess cap reinforcement
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Incomplete filled groove
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Weld Profile Defects
Poor stop/starts
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Miscellaneous Defects
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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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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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Cap & Root Undercut
An irregular groove at the toe of a weld run in the parent metal Excessive amps/volts Excessive travel speed
Incorrect electrode angle
Excessive weaving
Incorrect welding technique
Electrode too large
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Cap Undercut
Intermittent Cap Undercut
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Root undercut
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Cap undercut
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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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Weld Root Defect
A shallow groove, which may occur in the root of a butt weld Root faces too large Root gap too large Excessive back purge pressure during TIG welding Concave root Excessive root bead grinding before the application of the second pass
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Weld Root Defect
Concave Root
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Weld Root Defect
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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Weld Root Defect
Excessive root penetration
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Concave root
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Excess root penetration
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Weld Root Defect
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 Burn through
Slow Travel Speed
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Weld Root Defect
Burn Through
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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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Crater Pipe
Weld crater
Crater pipe
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Crater Pipe
Crater pipe is a shrinkage defect and not a gas defect, it has the appearance of a gas pore in the weld crater
Crater cracks (Star cracks)
Too fast a cooling rate Deoxidization reactions and liquid to solid volume change Contamination
Crater pipe
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Mechanical Damage
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Mechanical Damage
Mechanical damage can be defined as any surface material 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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Mechanical Damage
Chipping Marks
Mechanical Damage/Grinding Mark
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Set-up Irregularities
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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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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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Set-up Irregularities
Linear Misalignment
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Set-up Irregularities
Linear Misalignment
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Any Questions
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Questions
Weld Defects
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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Material Inspection
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Course notes section references 6
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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
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Material Inspection
Parent material defects include:
Mechanical damage Lamination Lap
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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Material Inspection
Plate Lamination
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Weld Repairs
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Course notes section references 16
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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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Weld Repairs
A weld repair may be used to improve weld profiles or 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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Weld Repairs
The specification or procedure will govern how the defective areas are to be removed. The method of removal may be
Grinding
Chipping
Machining
Filing
Oxy-Gas gouging
Arc air gouging
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Any Questions
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