Basic Weld Inspection - Part 2

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Technical Articles

Basic Weld Inspection - Part 2

John Hoh
Senior Staff Engineer
National Board
Category: Design/Fabrication
Summary: This article was originally published in the Winter 2010 National Board BULLETIN as the second of
a two-part series. This is a continuation of the article Basic Weld Inspection - Part 1 originally published in the Fall 2009
edition of the BULLETIN, with more examples and tips the inspector can use as a guide. Some of the items in Part 2 may
seem to be outside the realm of weld inspection but, when taken in context with the overall objective, they are relevant.

Note: Items 1 through 6 were included in the article Basic Weld Inspection Part 1.
A pressure vessel manufacturer is manufacturing a lethal service vessel. ASME Section VIII, Div. 1, paragraph
UW-2 (a)(1)(d) states that all Category D joints shall be full penetration welds. That means the weld metal must
extend completely from one face of the joint to the opposing face of the joint. Without watching the entire welding
process, how does the inspector ensure the manufacturer has complied with Code requirements? A review of the
welding procedure and any supplementary instructions combined with a verification of the joint preparation will
tell the inspector much of the story. If the full penetration weld is to be accomplished by welding from both sides,
the inspector should make a point of observing how the root of the first weld is prepared for incorporating the
weld on the opposing face. This is usually done by mechanical means (such as grinding or chipping) or thermal
gouging.
When welding in areas with limited access to move, welders will sometimes shorten SMAW welding rods and
GTAW filler wire. To shorten the SMAW rod, the welder will grip the rod in the electrode holder a few inches from
the bare end and crumble the flux until he or she is able to grip a bare portion of the rod. When this is done, the
rod identification is usually destroyed since it is normally printed on the flux close to the bare end. GTAW filler
wire normally comes in 36-inch lengths with identification on one or both ends of the wire in the form of a
flag-type label or embossing. A welder will seldom attempt to use a full length of wire because the free end may
hit an obstruction or in some way impede the welders manipulation of the wire in the weld puddle. A welder may
cut the length of filler wire in two or more pieces to make it easier to handle. Depending upon how the filler wire
is marked, there could be one or more pieces without identification. If the certificate holder is using only one type
and size of SMAW rod or GTAW wire (such as 3/32 in. E7018 or ER70S-6), the inspector may feel more
comfortable if rods or wire with missing identification are found at the welders station. However, most certificate
holders use more than one type and size of rod or wire, and the inspector must always ensure there are
adequate controls in place to maintain rod or wire identification.
SMAW welding rod storage seems to always stir up a lively debate. The rod manufacturers recommendations
should always be followed or, at the very least, the rods should be stored in compliance with the information
found in ASME Section II, Part C. As an example, SFA-5.1, Annex 6.11 and SFA-5.5, Annex 6.12 discuss
moisture content and conditioning for carbon steel and low-alloy steel electrodes (rods). One interesting point
found in these references deals with rods such as E6010 with cellulosic coverings (flux). They actually need a
moisture level of approximately 3 to 7 percent to operate properly. That means if these rods are stored in a
heated oven, they may be too dry to use. I have personally seen E6010 rods taken from an oven, and the flux
crumbles and falls off with the slightest touch. To the other extreme, I have seen a welder quickly dip an E6010
rod in a bucket of water immediately before striking an arc. This was on plate steel in a non-pressure boundary
application so there were no ASME or NBIC violation concerns, but I am sure it exceeded the rod manufacturers
recommended moisture content. This is definitely not condoned or recommended.
Holding ovens for welding rods are commercially available in many sizes. Human resourcefulness has also
converted derelict refrigerators into makeshift holding ovens by installing light bulbs as the heat source. Is that
permitted? As far as I know, it is not prohibited. The key, in my opinion, is the ability to achieve and maintain the
recommended temperature. For example, SFA-5.1, Annex Table A3 shows a temperature range of 50F 250F
above ambient temperature for E7018 rods. It should not be difficult to obtain 50F above ambient temperature
during the winter in a shop where the temperature is 60F. But, go to a shop in Louisiana or Florida in the
summer, and the ambient temperature may easily be over 100F. Can a simple light bulb in an old refrigerator
achieve the necessary temperature in those conditions? There are variables such as the wattage and number of
light bulbs in addition to how well the old refrigerator is insulated and sealed. As part of their normal monitoring
duties, inspectors should be verifying the rod storage conditions no matter if a commercial oven is used or if a
homemade alternative is in place.
While we are on the subject of welding rod storage, it seems that there are always a few people who mistake
holding ovens with drying or rebaking. Looking at the table below, we find E7018 should be held or stored at
50F 250F above ambient temperature. If the rod flux may have absorbed excess moisture, then it may be
reconditioned by drying or rebaking. That requires a temperature of 500F 800F for 1-2 hours for E7018.
Looking at the specifications for one manufacturer of electrode ovens, their holding ovens are capable of 550F
plus or minus 25. That would just barely meet the minimum rebaking temperature specified in Table A3. The
same manufacturer offers another purpose-built oven capable of reaching 800F. The two big differences in their
construction are the electric heating elements and the insulation thickness.
As you can see, weld inspection includes much more than just looking at the finished product. The best advice for an
inspector is to stop for a moment and think about every element which goes into making a weld. That can become the
inspectors checklist for review, inspection, and verification.

TABLE A3

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A Boiler: The Explosive Potential of a

Bomb

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yp

Austenitic Stainless Steel

Auto-Refrigeration
Basic Weld Inspection - Part 1

y g

Storage Conditions(1,2)

AWS Classification

Acoustic Emission Examination of

Metal Pressure Vessels
Anatomy of a Catastrophic Boiler
Accident

Drying Conditions(3)
A5.1

A5.1M

Ambient Air

Holding Ovens

E6010, E6011

E4310, E4311

Ambient temperature

Not recommended

Not recommended

E6012, E6013
E6019, E6020,
E6022, E6027,
E7014, E7024,
E7027

E4312, E4313
E4319, E4320,
E4322, E4327,
E4914, E4924,
E4927

80F 20F
[30C 10C]
50% max.
relative humidity

20F to 40F
[10C to 20C]
above ambient
temperature

275F 25F
[135C 15C]
1 hr at temperature

E6018, E7015
E7016, E7018,
E7028, E7018M,
E7048

E4318, E4915
E4916, E4918,
E4928, E4918M,
E4948

Not recommended

50F to 250F
[30C to 140C]
above ambient
temperature

500F to 800F
[260C to 425C]
1-2 hr at
temperature

Basic Weld Inspection - Part 2

Black Liquor Recovery Boilers - An
Introduction
Boiler Efficiency and Steam Quality:
The Challenge of Creating Quality
Steam Using Existing Boiler
Efficiencies
Boiler Logs Can Reduce Accidents
Boiler/Burner Combustion Air Supply
Requirements and Maintenance
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Preventable With Complete
Inspection

Notes:
(1) After removal from manufacturer's packaging.
(2) Some of these electrode classifications may be designated as meeting low moisture absorbing requirements.
(3) Because of inherent differences in covering composition, the manufacturers should be consulted for the exact drying
conditions.
Table and Notes reprinted from ASME 2007 BPVC, Section II-Part C, by permission of the American Society of
Mechanical Engineers. All rights reserved.

Combustion Air Requirements:The

Forgotten Element In Boiler Rooms
Creep and Creep Failures
Description of Construction and
Inspection Procedure for Steam
Locomotive and Fire Tube Boilers
Ensuring Safe Operation Of Vessels
With Quick-Opening Closures
Environmental Heat Exchangers
Factors Affecting Inservice Cracking
of Weld Zone in Corrosive Service
Failure Avoidance in Welded
Fabrication
Finite Element Analysis of Pressure
Vessels
Fuel Ash Corrosion
Fuel Firing Apparatus - Natural Gas
Grain Boundaries
Heat Treatment - What Is It?
How to Destroy a Boiler -- Part 1
How to Destroy a Boiler -- Part 2
How to Destroy a Boiler -- Part 3
Identifying Pressure Vessel Nozzle
Problems
Inspection, Repair, and Alteration of
Yankee Dryers
Inspection, What Better Place to
Begin
Laminations Led to Incident
Lay-up of Heating Boilers
Liquid Penetrant Examination
Low Voltage Short Circuiting-GMAW
Low Water Cut-Off Technology
Low-Water Cutoff: A Maintenance
Must
Magnetic Particle Examination

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Maintaining Proper Boiler Inspections

Through Proper Relationships
Microstructural Degradation
Miracle Fluid?
Organizing A Vessel, Tank, and
Piping Inspection Program
Paper Machine Failure Investigation:
Inspection Requirements Should Be
Changed For Dryer Can
Pipe Support Performance as It
Applies to Power Plant Safety and
Reliability
Polymer Use for Boilers and
Pressure Vessels
Pressure Vessel Fatigue
Pressure Vessels: Analyzing Change
Preventing Corrosion Under
Insulation
Preventing Steam/Condensate
System Accidents
Proper Boiler Care Makes Good
Business Sense:Safety Precautions
for Drycleaning Businesses
Putting a Stop to Steam Kettle Failure
Quick Actuating Closures
Quick-Actuating Door Failures
Real-Time Radioscopic Examination
Recommendations For A Safe Boiler
Room
Recovering Boiler Systems After A
Flood
Rendering Plants Require Safety
Repair or Alteration of Pressure
Vessels
Residential Water Heater Safety
School Boiler Maintenance
Programs: How Safe Are The
Children?
Secondary Low-Water Fuel Cutoff
Probe: Is It as Safe as You Think?
Short-Term High Temperature
Failures
Specification of Rupture Disk Burst
Pressure
Steam Traps Affect Boiler Plant
Efficiency
Steps to Safety: Guide for Restarting
Boilers after Summer Lay-Up
Stress Corrosion Cracking of Steel in
Liquefied Ammonia Service - A
Recapitulation
Suggested Daily Boiler Log Program
Suggested Maintenance Log
Program
System Design, Specifications,
Operation, and Inspection of
Deaerators
Tack Welding
Temperature And Pressure Relief
Valves Often Overlooked
Temperature Considerations for
Pressure Relief Valve Application

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The Authorized Inspector s

Responsibility for Dimensional
Inspection
The Effects of Erosion-Corrosion on
Power Plant Piping
The Forgotten Boiler That Suddenly
Isn't
The Trend of Boiler/Pressure Vessel
Incidents: On the Decline?
The Use of Pressure Vessels for
Human Occupancy in Clinical
Hyberbaric Medicine
Thermally Induced Stress Cycling
(Thermal Shock) in Firetube Boilers
Top Ten Boiler and Combustion
Safety Issues to Avoid
Typical Improper Repairs of Safety
Valves
Wasted Superheat Converted to Hot,
Sanitary Water
Water Maintenance Essential to
Prevent Boiler Scaling
Water Still Flashes to Steam at 212
Welding Consideration for Pressure
Relief Valves
Welding Symbols: A Useful System
or Undecipherable Hieroglyphics?
What Should You Do Before Starting
Boilers After Summer Lay-Up?
Why? A Question for All Inspectors

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