Section 2

Terms and Definitions

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Terms and Definitions
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2 Terms and Definitions

The following definitions are taken from BS 499-1: Welding terms and
symbols – glossary for welding, brazing and thermal cutting.

Brazing
A process of joining generally applied to metals in which, during or after
heating, molten filler metal is drawn into or retained in the space between
closely adjacent surfaces of the parts to be joined by capillary attraction. In
general, the melting point of the filler metal is above 450C but always below
the melting temperature of the parent material.

Braze welding
The joining of metals using a technique similar to fusion welding and a filler
metal with a lower melting point than the parent metal, but neither using
capillary action as in brazing nor intentionally melting the parent metal.

Joint
A connection where the individual components, suitably prepared and
assembled, are joined by welding or brazing.

Weld
A union of pieces of metal made by welding.

Welding
An operation in which two or more parts are united by means of heat,
pressure or both, in such a way that there is continuity in the nature of the
metal between these parts.

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Type of
joint Sketch Definition
Butt Connection between the ends or edges
of two parts making an angle to one
another of 135-180 inclusive in the
region of the joint.

T Connection between the end or edge of

one part and the face of the other part,
the parts making an angle to one
another of more than 5 up to and
including 90 in the region of the joint.

Corner Connection between the ends or edges

of two parts making an angle to one
another of more than 30 but less than
135 in the region of the joint.

Edge A connection between the edges of two

parts making an angle to one another of
0-30 inclusive in the region of the joint.

Cruciform A connection in which two flat plates or

two bars are welded to another flat plate
at right angles and on the same axis.

Lap Connection between two overlapping

parts making an angle to one another of
0-5 inclusive in the region of the weld
or welds.

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2.1 Types of weld

2.1.1 From the configuration point of view (as per 2.2)

Butt weld Fillet weld

In a butt joint

Butt weld In a T joint

In a corner joint

Autogenous weld
A fusion weld made without filler metal by TIG, plasma, electron beam, laser
or oxy-fuel gas welding.

Slot weld
A joint between two overlapping components made by depositing a fillet
weld round the periphery of a hole in one component so as to join it to the
surface of the other component exposed through the hole.

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Plug weld
A weld made by filling a hole in one component of a workpiece with filler
metal so as to join it to the surface of an overlapping component exposed
through the hole (the hole can be circular or oval).

2.1.2 From the penetration point of view

Full penetration weld
A welded joint where the weld metal fully penetrates the joint with complete
root fusion. In the US the preferred term is complete joint penetration (CJP)
weld (see AWS D1.1.).

Partial penetration weld

A welded joint without full penetration. In the US the preferred term is partial
joint penetration (PJP) weld.

2.2 Types of joints (see BS EN ISO 15607)

Homogeneous
Welded joint in which the weld metal and parent material have no significant
differences in mechanical properties and/or chemical composition. Example:
Two carbon steel plates welded with a matching carbon steel electrode.

Heterogeneous
Welded joint in which the weld metal and parent material have significant
differences in mechanical properties and/or chemical composition. Example:
A repair weld of a cast iron item performed with a nickel-based electrode.

Dissimilar/Transition
Welded joint in which the parent materials have significant differences in
mechanical properties and/or chemical composition. Example: A carbon
steel lifting lug welded onto an austenitic stainless steel pressure vessel.

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2.3 Features of the completed weld

 Parent metal
Metal to be joined or surfaced by welding, braze welding or brazing.

 Filler metal
Metal added during welding, braze welding, brazing or surfacing.

 Weld metal
All metal melted during the making of a weld and retained in the weld.

 Heat-affected zone (HAZ)

The part of the parent metal metallurgically affected by the heat of
welding or thermal cutting but not melted.

 Fusion line
Boundary between the weld metal and the HAZ in a fusion weld.

 Weld zone
Zone containing the weld metal and the HAZ.

 Weld face
The surface of a fusion weld exposed on the side from which the weld
has been made.

 Root
Zone on the side of the first run furthest from the welder.

 Toe
Boundary between a weld face and the parent metal or between runs.
This is a very important feature of a weld since toes are points of high
stress concentration and often are initiation points for different types of
cracks (eg fatigue and cold cracks). To reduce the stress concentration,
toes must blend smoothly into the parent metal surface.

 Excess weld metal

Weld metal lying outside the plane joining the toes. Other non-standard
terms for this feature are reinforcement and overfill.

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Weld
Parent zone
Weld
face metal

Parent
metal

Toe

HAZ
Weld
metal Root Fusion
line Excess weld
metal
Penetration

Parent metal

Excess weld
metal

Weld zone
Toe

Fusion line
Weld face

Root Parent metal

Weld Metal
HAZ

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2.4 Weld preparation

A preparation for making a connection where the individual components,
suitably prepared and assembled, are joined by welding or brazing. The
dimensions below can vary depending on WPS.

2.4.1 Features of the weld preparation

Angle of bevel
The angle at which the edge of a component is prepared for making a weld.

For an MMA weld on carbon steel plates, the angle is:

 25-30 for a V preparation.

 8-12 for a U preparation.
 40-50 for a single bevel preparation.
 10-20 for a J preparation.

Included angle
The angle between the planes of the fusion faces of parts to be welded. For
single and double V or U this angle is twice the bevel angle. In the case of
single or double bevel, single or double J bevel, the included angle is equal
to the bevel angle.

Root face
The portion of a fusion face at the root that is not bevelled or grooved. Its
value depends on the welding process used, parent material to be welded
and application; for a full penetration weld on carbon steel plates, it has a
value of 1-2mm (for the common welding processes).

Gap
The minimum distance at any cross-section between edges, ends or
surfaces to be joined. Its value depends on the welding process used and
application; for a full penetration weld on carbon steel plates, it has a value
of 1-4mm.

Root radius
The radius of the curved portion of the fusion face in a component prepared
for a single or double J or U, weld.

Land
Straight portion of a fusion face between the root face and the radius part of
a J or U preparation can be 0. Usually present in weld preparations for MIG
welding of aluminium alloys.

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2.4.2 Types of preparation

Open square butt preparation

Used for welding thin components from one or both sides. If the root gap is
zero (ie if components are in contact), this preparation becomes a closed
square butt preparation (not recommended due to problems caused by lack
of penetration)!

Single V preparation
Included angle

Angle of
bevel

Root face
Gap

One of the most common preparations used in welding and can be

produced using flame or plasma cutting (cheap and fast). For thicker plates
a double V preparation is preferred since it requires less filler material to
complete the joint and the residual stresses can be balanced on both sides
of the joint resulting in lower angular distortion.

Double V preparation

The depth of preparation can be the same on both sides (symmetric double
V preparation) or deeper on one side (asymmetric double V preparation).
Usually, in this situation the depth of preparation is distributed as 2/3 of the
thickness of the plate on the first side with the remaining 1/3 on the
backside. This asymmetric preparation allows for a balanced welding

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sequence with root back gouging, giving lower angular distortions. Whilst a
single V preparation allows welding from one side, double V preparation
requires access to both sides (the same applies for all double sided
preparations).

Single U preparation
Included angle

Angle of
bevel
Root
radius
Land

Root gap Root face

Land

U preparations can be produced only by machining (slow and expensive),

however, tighter tolerances give a better fit-up than with V preparations.
Usually applied to thicker plates compared with single V preparation as it
requires less filler material to complete the joint, lower residual stresses and
distortions. Like for V preparations, with very thick sections a double U
preparation can be used.

Double U preparation

Usually this type of preparation does not require a land, (except for
aluminium alloys).

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Single V preparation with backing strip

Backing strips allow production of full penetration welds with increased

current and hence increased deposition rates/productivity without the
danger of burn-through. Backing strips can be permanent or temporary.
Permanent types are made of the same material as being joined and are
tack welded in place. The main problems with this type of weld are poor
fatigue resistance and the probability of crevice corrosion between the
parent metal and the backing strip. It is also difficult to examine by NDT due
to the built-in crevice at the root of the joint. Temporary types include copper
strips, ceramic tiles and fluxes.

Single bevel preparation.

Double bevel preparation.

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Single J preparation.

Double J preparation.

All these preparations (single/double bevel and J) can be used on T joints

as well. Double preparations are recommended for thick sections. The main
advantage of these preparations is that only one component is prepared
(cheap, can allow for small misalignments).

For further details regarding weld preparations, please refer to Standard

BS EN ISO 9692.

2.5 Size of butt welds

Full penetration butt weld

Actual throat Design throat

thickness thickness

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Partial penetration butt weld

Actual throat Design throat

thickness thickness

As a general rule:

Actual throat thickness = design throat thickness + excess weld metal.

Actual throat
thickness = design
throat thickness

Full penetration butt weld ground flush.

Actual throat thickness Design throat

= maximum thickness thickness = thickness
through the joint of the thinner plate

Butt weld between two plates of different thickness.

Run (pass)
The metal melted or deposited during one pass of an electrode, torch or
blowpipe.

Single run weld. Multi-run weld.

Layer
A stratum of weld metal consisting of one or more runs.

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Types of butt weld (from accessibility point of view)

Single side weld.

Double side weld.

2.6 Fillet weld

A fusion weld, other than a butt, edge or fusion spot weld, which is
approximately triangular in transverse cross-section.

2.6.1 Size of fillet welds

Unlike butt welds, fillet welds can be defined using several dimensions.

Actual throat thickness

Perpendicular distance between two lines, each parallel to a line joining the
outer toes, one being a tangent at the weld face and the other being through
the furthermost point of fusion penetration.

Design throat thickness

The minimum dimension of throat thickness used for design purposes, also
known as effective throat thickness. (a on drawings).

Leg length
Distance from the actual or projected intersection of the fusion faces and the
toe of a fillet weld, measured across the fusion face (z on drawings).

Actual throat
thickness
Design
throat
thickness Leg
length

Leg
length

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2.6.2 Shape of fillet welds

Mitre fillet weld
A flat face fillet weld in which the leg lengths are equal within the agreed
tolerance. The cross-section area of this type of weld can be considered to
be a right angle isosceles triangle with design throat thickness a and leg
length z. The relation between design throat thickness and leg length is:

a = 0.707  z or z = 1.41  a

Convex fillet weld

A fillet weld in which the weld face is convex. The above relation between
leg length and design throat thickness for mitre fillet welds is also valid for
this type of weld. Since there is excess weld metal present, the actual throat
thickness is bigger than the design throat thickness.

Concave fillet weld

A fillet weld in which the weld face is concave. The relation between leg
length and design throat thickness specified for mitre fillet welds is not valid
for this type of weld. Also, the design throat thickness is equal to the actual
throat thickness. Due to the smooth blending between the weld face and the
surrounding parent material, the stress concentration effect at the toes of
the weld is reduced compared with the previous type. This is why this type
of weld is highly desired in applications subjected to cyclic loads where
fatigue phenomena might be a major cause for failure.

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Asymmetrical fillet weld

A fillet weld in which the vertical leg length is not equal to the horizontal leg
length. The relation between leg length and design throat thickness is not
valid for this type of weld because the cross-section is not an isosceles
triangle.
Horizontal leg
size

Vertical leg
size

Throat size

Deep penetration fillet weld

A fillet weld with a deeper than normal penetration. It is produced using high
heat input welding processes (ie SAW or MAG with spray transfer). This
type of weld uses the benefits of greater arc penetration to obtain the
required throat thickness whilst reducing the amount of deposited metal
needed thus leading to a reduction in residual stress level. To produce
consistent and constant penetration, the travel speed must be kept constant
at a high value. Consequently this type of weld is usually produced using
mechanised or automatic welding processes. Also, the high depth-to-width
ratio increases the probability of solidification centreline cracking. To
differentiate this type of weld from the previous types, the throat thickness is
symbolised with s instead of a.

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2.6.3 Compound of butt and fillet welds

A combination of butt and fillet welds used for T joints with full or partial
penetration or butt joints between two plates with different thickness. Fillet
welds added on top of the groove welds improve the blending of the weld
face towards the parent metal surface and reduce the stress concentration
at the toes of the weld.

Bevel
weld Fillet
weld

Double bevel compound weld.

2.7 Welding position, slope and rotation

Welding position
Orientation of a weld expressed in terms of working position, weld slope and
weld rotation (for further details see ISO 6947).

Weld slope
Angle between root line and the positive X axis of the horizontal reference
plane, measured in mathematically positive direction (ie counter-clockwise).

Weld rotation
Angle between the centreline of the weld and the positive Z axis or a line
parallel to the Y axis, measured in the mathematically positive direction (ie
counter-clockwise) in the plane of the transverse cross-section of the weld in
question.

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Definition and symbol according

Welding position Sketch to ISO 6947
Flat Welding position in which the
welding is horizontal with the
centreline of the weld vertical.
PA.
Horizontal- Welding position in which the
vertical welding is horizontal (applicable
in case of fillet welds). PB.

Horizontal Welding position in which the

welding is horizontal, with the
centreline of the weld horizontal.
PC.

Vertical-up Welding position in which the

welding is upwards. PF.
PG

Vertical-down
PF Welding position in which the
welding is downwards. PG.

Overhead A welding position in which the

welding is horizontal and
overhead (applicable in fillet
welds). PE.
Horizontal-
overhead Welding position in which the
welding is horizontal and
overhead with the centreline of
the weld vertical. PD.

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Tolerances for the welding positions.

2.8 Weaving
Transverse oscillation of an electrode or blowpipe nozzle during the
deposition of weld metal, generally used in vertical-up welds.

Stringer bead
A run of weld metal made with little or no weaving motion.

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