Design - Part 3 - TWI

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DESIGN PART 3

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Fillet welds may be combined with full or partial penetration butt welds - a
combination weld. The designer is therefore required to decide whether to
use a T-butt weld, a fillet weld or a combination of the two. In making this
decision cost is a major factor.

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As mentioned in Job knowledge 91, the fillet weld requires no weld
preparation, is easy to deposit and is often regarded as the cheapest weld of
all to make. However cross sectional area, and therefore cost, increases as a
function of the square of the leg length. Assuming the same strength
requirements from the fillet welds as for the T-butt welds it becomes more
economical to use a double sided full penetration T-butt joint at a plate

thickness of around 30mm.The accuracy of this figure should be treated with
caution as it is dependent on many factors such as the weld preparation
costs and included angle.
Welding position is an additional factor. It may be more economical to
deposit a butt weld in the flat position, where large diameter electrodes and
high welding currents can be used, rather than a double sided fillet weld
where one weld must be made in the overhead position ( Fig.1).
Fig.1. Flat position T-butt weld vs overhead fillet weld
An additional benefit from using a T-butt weld is that this weld type provides
a direct transfer of force through the joint, giving a better performance under
fatigue loads. Many design specifications will also have lower allowable
stresses for a fillet weld compared with a butt weld and this can have a
significant effect on cost, particularly when designing to match the strength
of thicker plates.
It should be remembered that it is difficult, if not impossible, to examine a
fillet weld volumetrically using radiographic or ultrasonic techniques and the
internal weld quality is therefore entirely dependent on the skill and integrity
of the welder. The comments on T-joints also apply to corner joints where
two fillet welds may be more economical than one large fillet as shown in
Fig.2. However, remember that one weld may need to be made in the
overhead position if the component cannot be turned.
Fig.2. Corner Joints: Area of weld in a) -50mm2; and b) -25mm2
From the foregoing it is obvious that the decision to use fillet welds, T-butt
joints or combination welds is not as straightforward as it may first appear
and there are numerous factors that must be taken into account.
Butt joints are those welds where the weld metal is contained within the
planes of the surfaces of the items being joined. The weld throat may be the
full section thickness, a full penetration joint, or a proportion only - a partial
penetration joint. Welds may be 'single sided joints', welded all from one side,
or 'double sided', welded from both sides, ( Fig.3).

Fig.3. Full and partial penetration welds
Except for very thin plate, arc welded butt joints require a weld preparation
to be flame cut or machined along the joint line. The conventional arc
welding processes can penetrate into the base metal by only a limited
amount. The maximum penetration in conventional TIG or manual metal arc
(SMAW) welds is in the region of 3mm, MAG (GMAW) welds around 6mm and
submerged arc some 15mm.
In order to weld the full thickness of a plate and achieve the weld throat
thickness required by design it is therefore necessary to cut away sufficient
metal along the joint line so that the welding electrode has access to the root
of the joint, enabling the root pass to be deposited and then the remainder
filled to complete the joint. A weld preparation, the 'weld prep', is therefore
formed along the joint line using flame cutting, plasma cutting or machining.
Figure 4 identifies the key features of a 'single bevel' weld preparation and
those of a 'single-V' joint.

The smaller the included angle, the less access this will give to the root and
the greater is the risk of defects such as lack of side wall fusion. This reduced
access may, however, be compensated for by an increase in the root gap.
The bevel angles and the root gap will depend upon the process(es) used to
make the joint and the material thickness. A narrow included angle requires
less weld metal and therefore is more economical as the thickness increases.
A downside to this is that the narrower the angle the more difficult access
becomes and the risk of welding defects as mentioned above.
Too wide a root gap will result in a loss of control of the weld pool and melt
through giving an irregular and excessive penetration bead. This may be
overcome by using a backing strip if this is permitted by the service
conditions.
Fig.4. Single bevel weld preparation
The choice of the weld preparation is therefore a compromise between
maintaining adequate access and minimising the weld volume.

If a high quality root bead is required and access is not available to the root
side of the weld e.g. in a pipe carrying fluids or in high pressure service, then
an acceptable condition can be achieved using the TIG process to make the
root bead. A typical pipe butt weld set-up would be 60° included angle, 1mm
to 2mm root gap and a zero to 1.5mm thick root face.
Where access to the reverse side of the joint is available, the condition of the
penetration bead is less important as the root bead can be ground to sound
metal and a sealing pass deposited.
A reduction in weld volume can be achieved by the use of a 'J' preparation as
shown in Fig.5. This preparation, unlike the straight chamfer of the 'V'
preparation which can be flame cut, must be machined.
Fig.5. Key features of single sided 'J' preparation
This can be an expensive operation, which is why this type of weld is used
only on thick joints, where the saving in deposited weld metal outweighs the
cost of machining, or where very high quality root beads are required.
Machining of the weld preparation dictates that the dimensions, particularly
that of the root face thickness, can be controlled far more closely than is
possible with flame cutting and therefore a more accurate fit-up can be
achieved.
It is often used on orbitally TIG welded pipe butt joints where a machined
joint enables the tolerances required by a fully automatic process to be
achieved.
For more information please email:
contactus@twi.co.uk
Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge, CB21 6AL, UK
+44(0)1223 899000
contactus@twi.co.uk
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Home > Technical Knowledge > Job Knowledge >

combination weld. The designer is therefore required to decide whether to

decision cost is a major factor.

As mentioned in Job knowledge 91, the fillet weld requires no weld

preparation, is easy to deposit and is often regarded as the cheapest weld of

economical to use a double sided full penetration T-butt joint at a plate

caution as it is dependent on many factors such as the weld preparation

costs and included angle.

Welding position is an additional factor. It may be more economical to

where one weld must be made in the overhead position ( Fig.1).

Fig.1. Flat position T-butt weld vs overhead fillet weld

significant effect on cost, particularly when designing to match the strength

It should be remembered that it is difficult, if not impossible, to examine a

fillet weld volumetrically using radiographic or ultrasonic techniques and the

overhead position if the component cannot be turned.

Fig.2. Corner Joints: Area of weld in a) -50mm2; and b) -25mm2

joints or combination welds is not as straightforward as it may first appear

full section thickness, a full penetration joint, or a proportion only - a partial

or 'double sided', welded from both sides, ( Fig.3).

amount. The maximum penetration in conventional TIG or manual metal arc

submerged arc some 15mm.

thickness required by design it is therefore necessary to cut away sufficient

those of a 'single-V' joint.

access may, however, be compensated for by an increase in the root gap.

becomes and the risk of welding defects as mentioned above.

through giving an irregular and excessive penetration bead. This may be

overcome by using a backing strip if this is permitted by the service

Fig.4. Single bevel weld preparation

The choice of the weld preparation is therefore a compromise between

maintaining adequate access and minimising the weld volume.

to 2mm root gap and a zero to 1.5mm thick root face.

metal and a sealing pass deposited.

A reduction in weld volume can be achieved by the use of a 'J' preparation as

preparation which can be flame cut, must be machined.

Fig.5. Key features of single sided 'J' preparation

Machining of the weld preparation dictates that the dimensions, particularly

joint enables the tolerances required by a fully automatic process to be

For more information please email:

Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge, CB21 6AL, UK

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