LANL

Engineering Standards Manual ISD 341-2

Volume 2, Welding Fabrication Procedure
WFP 2-04 AWS D1.1, Structural Welding Steel

Chapter 13, Welding & Joining

Rev. 1, 10/27/06

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Volume 2, WELDING FABRICATION PROCEDURE
WFP 2-04 AWS D1.1, STRUCTURAL WELDING STEEL .................................................................. 2
1.0
PURPOSE AND SCOPE ....................................................................................................................... 2
2.0
REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................... 2
3.0
WELDER QUALIFICATION ................................................................................................................ 2
4.0
WELDING PREREQUISITES................................................................................................................ 2
5.0
MATERIALS ...................................................................................................................................... 2
6.0
BASE MATERIAL JOINT PREPARATION ............................................................................................ 2
7.0
BASE MATERIAL JOINT CLEANING .................................................................................................. 3
8.0
JOINT FIT-UP AND ALIGNMENT ....................................................................................................... 3
9.0
PREHEAT .......................................................................................................................................... 3
10.0
TACK WELDS ................................................................................................................................... 4
11.0
BACKPURGES ................................................................................................................................... 4
12.0
INTER-PASS TEMPERATURE (IPT).................................................................................................... 4
13.0
WELDING TECHNIQUE ....................................................................................................................... 4
14.0
INSPECTOR QUALIFICATION ............................................................................................................. 5
15.0
ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA FOR COMPLETED WELDS .......................................................................... 5
16.0
WELD REPAIRS................................................................................................................................. 6
17.0
POST WELD HEAT TREATMENT ....................................................................................................... 7
18.0
ATTACHMENT WELDS ...................................................................................................................... 7
19.0
ATTACHMENTS................................................................................................................................. 7
Attachment 1: Weld Profiles and Sizes..................................................................................................... 7
Attachment 2: Minimum Fillet Weld Size for Pre-qualified Joints .......................................................... 7
Attachment 3: Maximum Detailed Size of Fillet Weld Along Edges....................................................... 7

RECORD OF REVISIONS
Rev

Date

Description

POC

OIC

8/16/04

Initial issue.

Kelly Bingham,
FWO-DECS

Gurinder Grewal,
FWO-DO

10/27/06

Administrative changes only.

Organization updates from LANS
transition. IMP and ISD number
changes based on new Conduct of
Engineering IMP 341. Other
administrative changes.

Kelly Bingham,
FM&E-DES

Kirk Christensen,
CENG

Contact the Welding Standards POC for upkeep, interpretation, and variance issues
WFP 2-04
Welding POC/Committee

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LANL

Engineering Standards Manual ISD 341-2

Volume 2, Welding Fabrication Procedure
WFP 2-04 AWS D1.1, Structural Welding Steel

Chapter 13, Welding & Joining

Rev. 1, 10/10/06

WFP 2-04 AWS D1.1, STRUCTURAL WELDING STEEL

1.0

PURPOSE AND SCOPE

A. This welding procedure governs the welding of components to the requirements of
AWS D1.1 (Reference 1). The Code edition and addenda for this procedure shall be the
latest in effect or as otherwise specified by engineering requirements.
B. The use of AWS standard welding procedure specifications shall be in accordance with
GWS 1-02, Administrative Control of Welding.

2.0

REFERENCES
1. AWS D1.1, Structural Welding Code

3.0

WELDER QUALIFICATION
A. Welder/welding operators shall be currently certified, having performed qualification tests in
accordance with GWS 1-05, Welder Performance Qualification & Certification.

4.0

WELDING PREREQUISITES
A. All welding shall comply with the requirements specified in the Welding Procedure
Specification (WPS) or Welding Technique Sheet (WTS).
B. Welding shall not be performed when the ambient temperature in the immediate vicinity of
the weld is lower than 0 F or when surfaces are wet or exposed to rain, snow, dust, or high
wind. The welder and weld joint shall be sufficiently protected from inclement conditions.
Care shall be taken to assure that moisture has not been trapped between members that are to
be welded and that moisture has not been introduced into previously fit-up joints prior to final
welding. Preheating above the minimum specified temperature on the WPS or WTS may be
necessary to remove any entrapped moisture. The additional preheat should be applied if
there is suspicion of moisture being present.

5.0

MATERIALS
A. Base Materials
1. Only materials specified in the WPS or WTS may be welded using this procedure.
B. Filler Materials
1. Welding filler materials to be used with this procedure are specified in the WPS or WTS.
A listing of applicable welding filler materials is provided in GWS 1-07, Material
Specifications.
2. Requirements for the purchase and control of welding filler material shall be in
accordance with GWS 1-03, Welding and Brazing Material Procurement and Control.
3. Welding filler materials (electrodes, bare filler wire, etc.) must be utilized by welders
making weldments with this procedure. Welders shall not perform welds autogenously.

6.0

BASE MATERIAL JOINT PREPARATION

A. Surfaces and edges to be welded shall be smooth, uniform, and free from fins, tears, cracks,

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LANL

Engineering Standards Manual ISD 341-2

Volume 2, Welding Fabrication Procedure
WFP 2-04 AWS D1.1, Structural Welding Steel

Chapter 13, Welding & Joining

Rev. 1, 10/10/06

and other discontinuities that would adversely affect the quality or strength of the weld.
B. Members to be joined may be cut to shape and size by machining, shearing, chipping,
grinding, thermal cutting, or air carbon arc gouging.

7.0

BASE MATERIAL JOINT CLEANING

A. Prior to welding, surfaces for welding shall be clean and free from paint, oil, rust, scale, slag,
grease, and other foreign materials that are detrimental to welding.
B. Solvents approved for use on the base material and weld materials are methyl alcohol, ethyl
alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, toluene, Varson 4, Dowanol EB, and
Stoddard solvents.

8.0

JOINT FIT-UP AND ALIGNMENT

A. The root opening and fit-up tolerances shall be as specified in GWS 1-06, Weld Joint Design.
If the tolerances cannot be achieved, the end preparations may be built up by welding or reprepared by machining or grinding.
B. The parts to be joined by a tee or fillet weld shall be brought into as close contact as is
practicable. The maximum gap between these parts shall not exceed 3/16 in. If the separation
is greater than 1/16 in., each leg of the fillet weld shall be increased by the amount of
separation.
C. The gap between faying surfaces of lap joints or butt welds utilizing backing shall not exceed
1
/16 in.
D. Parts to be joined by butt welding shall be carefully aligned to maintain an offset not
exceeding 10 % of the thickness of the thinner part joined, but in no case more than 1/8 in.
shall be permitted as a departure from the theoretical alignment. In correcting misalignment
in such cases, the parts shall not be drawn into a slope exceeding in. in each 12 in. of
length. Measurement of offset shall be based upon centerline of parts unless otherwise shown
on the drawing. The degree of angle on the perpendicular member of the joint shall be as
specified in engineering standards/documents or drawings.
E. The parts to be joined by partial penetration groove welds parallel to the length of the
member (bearing joints excepted), shall be brought into as close contact as practicable. The
gap between parts shall not exceed 3/16 in.

9.0

PREHEAT
A. When the base material temperature is below the minimum preheat temperature specified in
the WPS or WTS, the base material shall be heated to the minimum preheat temperature prior
to welding.
B. The preheat temperature shall be maintained for a distance of at least 3 in. or the thickness of
the thicker part being joined, on each side of the weld joint and in advance of the welding.
C. Preheat temperature above 125 F shall be checked by a surface pyrometer, Tempilstik, or
non-mercury-type thermometer. Temperature indicating crayons shall not be used directly in
the weld zone.

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LANL

Engineering Standards Manual ISD 341-2

Volume 2, Welding Fabrication Procedure
WFP 2-04 AWS D1.1, Structural Welding Steel

Chapter 13, Welding & Joining

Rev. 1, 10/10/06

10.0 TACK WELDS

A. Tack welds shall be made by a qualified welder in accordance with an approved WPS or
WTS.
B. Acceptable tack welds may be incorporated into the final weld.
C. Defective tack welds shall be removed or repaired prior to welding.

11.0 BACKPURGES
Not applicable.

12.0 INTER-PASS TEMPERATURE (IPT)

A. Inter-pass temperature shall not exceed the maximum value specified in the WPS or WTS
and shall be checked on the surface of the component using a surface pyrometer,
Tempilstick, or non-mercury-type thermometer. Temperature indicating crayons shall not
be used directly in the weld zone.
B. If the temperature of the weld is above the maximum inter-pass temperature specified in the
WPS or WTS, the weld shall be allowed to cool to below the maximum inter-pass
temperature, but not below the minimum preheat temperature, prior to resumption of welding.

13.0 WELDING TECHNIQUE

A. Welding voltage and amperage shall be in accordance with the limits specified in the WPS or
WTS. Specified voltage ranges are not mandatory for AWS purposes. Voltage and amperage
range gages located on the welding power supply are for reference only and are not
mandatory check or hold points. Voltage and amp range checks for documentation purposes
shall be performed by a qualified (CWI or equivalent) inspector using calibrated voltage and
amp meters or approved welding parameter recording equipment.
B. Cracks or blowholes that appear on the surface of a weld bead shall be removed by filing,
grinding, chipping, or air carbon arc gouging before depositing the next bead. Oxygen
gouging shall not be used on quenched and tempered steel.
C. Before welding over previously deposited material, all slag and flux shall be removed, and
the weld and adjacent base material within 1 on either side of the weld shall be brushed
clean.
D. For double-welded butt joints, the second side to be welded, shall be prepared by suitable
methods such as chipping, grinding, or air carbon arc gouging to sound material before
welding.
E. The minimum size of a root pass shall be sufficient to prevent cracking but not less than 1/8.
F. The maximum thickness of root passes in groove welds shall be in.
G. The maximum size of single-pass fillet welds and root beads of multiple-pass fillet welds
shall be:

/8 in. for the flat (1F) position

/16 in. for the horizontal (2F) and overhead (4F) positions
in. for the vertical (3F) position.
5

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LANL

Engineering Standards Manual ISD 341-2

Volume 2, Welding Fabrication Procedure
WFP 2-04 AWS D1.1, Structural Welding Steel

Chapter 13, Welding & Joining

Rev. 1, 10/10/06

H. The maximum thickness of layers subsequent to root passes of groove and fillet welds shall
be:

I.

/8 in. for the flat (1G & 1F) position

/16 in for vertical (3G & 3F), overhead (4G & 4F), and horizontal (2G & 2F)
positions.
3

Peening
1. Peening of Group l materials may be used to control distortion or to relieve residual
stresses. Peening shall not be performed until 3/8 in. of the joint thickness has been
deposited. Peening shall not be applied to cover passes, base material, or weld layers
requiring nondestructive examination. Peening shall not be used to mask a defect.

J.

Control of Distortion and Shrinkage

1. In assembling and joining parts of a structure or of built-up members and in welding
reinforcing parts to members, the procedure and sequence shall only be performed to
minimize distortion and shrinkage.
2. Insofar as practicable, welds shall be deposited in a sequence that will balance the applied
heat of welding while the welding progresses.
3. The welding sequence applied, in conjunction with the WPS or WTS and overall
fabrication methods, shall produce members or structures meeting the specified quality
requirements.
4. The direction of the general progression in welding on a member shall be from points
where the parts are relatively fixed in position with respect to each other toward points
where they have a greater relative freedom of movement.
5. Joints expected to have significant shrinkage should usually be welded before joints
expected to have lesser shrinkage. Such joints should be welded with as little restraint as
possible.
6. In making welds under conditions of severe external shrinkage or restraint, the welding
shall be continuous to completion or to a point that will ensure freedom from cracking
before the joint is allowed to cool below the minimum-specified preheat temperature.

K. All welding processes may be single pass or multiple passes per side unless otherwise
specified in the WPS or WTS.
L.

Welding shall be performed single arc unless otherwise specified in the WPS or WTS.

14.0 INSPECTOR QUALIFICATION

A. The Inspector who performs welding inspection for acceptance to this procedure shall be an
AWS-CWI, and authorized by the LANL WPA.

15.0 ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA FOR COMPLETED WELDS

A. Butt Welds
1. As-welded surfaces are permitted; however, the surface of welds shall be sufficiently free
from coarse ripples, grooves, overlaps, abrupt ridges, and valleys.

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LANL

Engineering Standards Manual ISD 341-2

Volume 2, Welding Fabrication Procedure
WFP 2-04 AWS D1.1, Structural Welding Steel

Chapter 13, Welding & Joining

Rev. 1, 10/10/06

2. The surface condition of the finished welds shall be suitable for the proper interpretation
of radiographic and other nondestructive examinations when nondestructive examinations
are required. In those cases where there is a question regarding the surface condition, the
film shall be compared to the actual weld surface for interpretation and determination of
acceptability.
3. Undercuts shall not exceed 0.01 in. (0.5 mm) and shall not encroach on the minimum
required section thickness for sheer moment connections and primary members cyclically
loaded in tension. For other than sheer moment and primary connections cyclically
loaded in tension, undercut shall not exceed 1/32 in. (0.8 mm) and shall not encroach on
the minimum required section thickness.
4. Reinforcement shall not exceed 1/8 in. in height and shall have gradual transition to the
plane of the base material surface.
5. Groove welds shall be terminated at the ends of a joint in a manner that will ensure sound
welds. This shall be done by use of extension bars or runoff plates or by grinding starts
and stops. After the weld is completed, the extension bars or runoff plates shall be
removed and the junction ground flush.
B. Fillet Welds
1. As-welded surfaces are permitted; however, the surface of welds shall be sufficiently free
from coarse ripples, grooves, overlaps, abrupt ridges, and valleys.
2. The surface condition of the finished welds shall be suitable for the proper interpretation
of nondestructive examinations.
3. Undercuts shall not exceed 0.01 in. (0.5 mm) and shall not encroach on the minimum
required section thickness for primary members cyclically loaded in tension. For joints
other than cyclically loaded in tension, undercut shall not exceed 1/32 in. (0.8 mm) and
shall not encroach on the minimum required section thickness.
4. Fillet welds may vary from convex to concave. The size of a fillet weld is determined as
shown in Attachment 1.
5. Weld beads shall be continuous through high stress areas such as corners.
6. The minimum fillet weld size, except for fillet welds used to reinforce groove welds,
shall be in accordance with Attachment 2.
7. The minimum length of an intermittent fillet weld shall be 1 in.
8. The maximum fillet weld size detailed along edges of material shall be in accordance
with Attachment 3.
C. Arc Strikes
1. Cracks or blemishes outside of the area of permanent welds resulting from arc strikes
shall be ground to a smooth contour and checked to ensure soundness.

16.0 WELD REPAIRS

A. Weld repairs shall be performed using the original WPS or WTS or an approved repair WTS
to restore a weld to an acceptable condition.
B. The removal of weld material or portions of the base material may be done by machining,
grinding, chipping, or air carbon arc gouging. It shall be done in such a manner that the
remaining weld material or base material is not nicked or undercut. Oxygen gouging shall
not be used in quenched and tempered steel. Unacceptable portions of the weld shall be
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LANL

Engineering Standards Manual ISD 341-2

Volume 2, Welding Fabrication Procedure
WFP 2-04 AWS D1.1, Structural Welding Steel

Chapter 13, Welding & Joining

Rev. 1, 10/10/06

removed without substantial removal of the base material. Additional weld material to
compensate for any deficiency in size shall be deposited using an electrode preferably smaller
than that used for making the original weld, and preferably not more than 5/32 in. in diameter.
The surfaces shall be cleaned thoroughly before welding.
C. The weld shall be corrected as follows:
1. Overlap or Excessive Convexity - Remove excess weld material.
2. Excessive Concavity of Weld or Crater, Undersize Welds, Undercutting - Prepare
surfaces and deposit additional weld material using the original Welding Procedure
Specification (WPS) or Weld Technique Sheet (WTS).
3. Excessive Weld Porosity, Excessive Slag Inclusions, Incomplete Fusion - Remove
unacceptable portions and re-weld.
4. Cracks in Weld or Base Material - Determine the extent of the crack by use of magnetic
particle or liquid penetrant (PT) examination. Remove the crack, using the boat
technique to sound material 2 in. beyond each end of the crack, and re-weld.
D. The repaired weld shall be reexamined by the method and technique originally used, with the
same acceptance criteria.

17.0 POST WELD HEAT TREATMENT

A. Post weld heat treatment, when indicated in the engineering specification or in the WPS or
WTS, shall be performed in accordance with GWS 1-08, Post Weld Heat Treatment.

18.0 ATTACHMENT WELDS

A. Attachment welds shall be performed in accordance with an approved WPS or WTS.
B. Materials used for welded attachments shall be equal to, or compatible with the base material.
C. When applying attachments to materials of different thicknesses, the preheat and inter-pass
requirements of the thicker material shall be observed.
D. When the specification requires temporary attachments to be removed, a method of removal
that will not damage the base material shall be utilized; i.e., cut, grind, or air carbon arc
gouge the attachment off and grind the area flush.

19.0 ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1: Weld Profiles and Sizes
Attachment 2: Minimum Fillet Weld Size for Pre-qualified Joints
Attachment 3: Maximum Detailed Size of Fillet Weld Along Edges

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