Measurement of Skewed Fillet Welds 2

AWS welding symbols may not be sufficient to describe the size of the weld legs, thus it is often necessary to include a sketch of the actual joint and the required leg dimensions. A sketch is the easiest method of providing the information as required by paragraph 2.3.3 of AWS D1.1.

Oh, if only detailers would follow this advice! After all, the weld in a skewed T joint is not truly fillet welds. The Z-loss, or the incomplete fusion, at the root means the weld does not meet the basic premise of a fillet weld. Skewed T Joints have their own paragraph in AWS D1.1, just as do groove welds and fillet welds, i.e., they are separate entities. Nowhere in that paragraph is the term “fillet weld” used, only term “weld” is used.

As for measuring the leg dimensions of the weld in a skewed T joint, I use fillet weld gages that have been modified to allow me to slip it in to position to measure the leg. In some cases, I make a gage from “banding strap” using tin snips.

Best regards - Al

Al, I can feel your pain. Unfortunately detailers have very little education on weld symbols and frequently mis-apply them which causes some pain for the fabricator. I saw a set of drawings last week requiring a 1.00 round bar laying on its length on a tube column face with a 1/4 fillet weld all around symbol instead of a single flare bevel groove symbol both sides. Not 6" away was a cap plate which should have been a BP1c callout with a fillet weld all around symbol. What else was wrong with the BP1c joint is that they applied it to a 1/2" cap plate on a 5/8 wall tube, with the cap plate and the tube both being the same size. The code limits the thickness of this joint to material of 1/4" max. thus, a bevel of one member or the other would have been required or at the least, the BP1c callout listed with "Seal Weld" listed in the tail symbol.

Thanks to all who responded, youv'e been a great help

As I say, "Their ignorance is my profit."

Best regards - Al