Strange-Looking Weld Phenomenon - Can You Identify This?

[Illbay]

In doing a brief visual inspection of some steel floor framing erected over ten years ago, I came upon this rather strange-looking "material" at the location of a rather hack field weld.

Bearing in mind that this location experiences frequent high ambient relative humidity owing to exposure to the outside air (and in an area that is quite humid a good deal of the time), can you help me identify what this is, and what has caused it? In particular I want to satisfy myself that it is not detrimental.

FWIW, I have an idea what I'm looking at but I'd rather get some additional opinions.

"No one is completely useless. He can always serve as a bad example." --My Dad ca. 1975

 

[Compositepro]

That looks like welding flux that has migrated when it got wet and has now dried. It is not particularly harmful.

 

[dvd]

There are several elements to take pride in for everyone in that chain of events. The goop appears to have come from the top flange. Is it very dense? What type of facility is it located in? I am wondering if it is old fireproofing.

 

[EdStainless]

So how bad are the water leaks?

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P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube

 

[racookpe1978]

Looks more like biologics. Fungi growing from the rougher surface where water and dirt got trapped.

 

[DVWE]

That looks like old fireproofing to me...

 

[metengr]

It looks like a bracket or bar which was welded originally and torch cut to remove it. The steel I beam material surrounding was exposed to heat from welding and torch cutting resulting in exposed bare metal and corrosion from humidity and other products.