Welding shall conform to the provisions of the Structural Welding Code—Steel (AWS D1.1/D1.1M), hereafter referred to as AWS D1.1/D1.1M, except where those provisions differ from this Specification. This Specification governs where provisions differ from AWS D1.1/D1.1M.
User Note: Examples of provisions in AWS D1.1/D1.1M that differ from the Specification provisions are shown in the Commentary.
| Welding Process | Welding Position F (flat), H (horizontal), V (vertical), OH (overhead) | Groove Type (AWS D1.1, Figure 5.2) | Effective Throat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shielded metal arc (SMAW) | All | J or U groove | depth of groove |
| Gas metal arc (GMAW) Flux cored arc (FCAW) | 60° V | ||
| Submerged arc (SAW) | F | J or U groove 60° bevel or V | |
| Gas metal arc (GMAW) Flux cored arc (FCAW) | F, H | 45° bevel | depth of groove |
| Shielded metal arc (SMAW) | All | 45° bevel | depth of groove minus 1/8 in. (3 mm) |
| Gas metal arc (GMAW) Flux cored arc (FCAW) | V, OH |
J2.1 Groove Welds
J2.1a Effective Area
The effective area of groove welds shall be taken as the length of the weld times the effective throat.
The effective throat of a CJP groove weld shall be the thickness of the thinner part joined.
When filled flush to the surface, the effective weld throat for a PJP groove weld shall be as given in Table J2.1 and the effective weld throat for a flare groove weld shall be as given in Table J2.2. The effective throat of a PJP groove weld or flare groove weld filled less than flush shall be as shown in Table J2.1 or Table J2.2, less the greatest perpendicular dimension measured from a line flush to the base metal surface to the weld surface.
User Note: The effective throat of a PJP groove weld is dependent on the pro- cess used and the weld position. The design documents should either indicate the effective throat required or the weld strength required, and the fabricator should detail the joint based on the weld process and position to be used to weld the joint.
For PJP groove welds, effective throats larger than those for prequalified PJP groove welds in AWS D1.1/D1.1M, Figure 5.2, and flare groove welds in Table J2.2 are permitted for a given welding procedure specification (WPS), provided the fabricator establishes by testing the consistent production of such larger effective throats. Testing shall consist of sectioning the weld normal to its axis, at mid-length, and at terminal ends. Such sectioning shall be made on a number of combinations of material
| Welding Process | Flare-Bevel-Groove[a] | Flare-V-Groove |
|---|---|---|
| GMAW and FCAW-G | 5/8R | 3/4R |
| SMAW and FCAW-S | 5/16R | 5/8R |
| SAW | 5/16R | 1/2R |
R = radius of joint surface (is permitted to be assumed equal to 2t for HSS, where t is the design wall thick- ness), in. (mm)
[a]For flare-bevel-groove with R < 3/8 in. (10 mm), use only reinforcing fillet weld on filled flush joint.
| Material Thickness of Thinner Part Joined, in. (mm) | Minimum Effective Throat,[a] in. (mm) |
|---|---|
| To 1/4 (6) inclusive | 1/8 (3) |
| Over 1/4 (6) to 1/2 (13) | 3/16 (5) |
| Over 1/2 (13) to 3/4 (19) | 1/4 (6) |
| Over 3/4 (19) to 1½ (38) | 5/16 (8) |
| Over 1½ (38) to 2¼ (57) | 3/8 (10) |
| Over 2¼ (57) to 6 (150) | 1/2 (13) |
| Over 6 (150) | 5/8 (16) |
[a]See Table J2.1.
sizes representative of the range to be used in the fabrication. During production of welds with increased effective throats, single pass welds and the root pass of multi-pass welds shall be made using a mechanized, automatic, or robotic process, with no decrease in current or increase in travel speed from that used for testing.
J2.1b Limitations
The minimum effective throat of a partial-joint-penetration groove weld shall not be less than the size required to transmit calculated forces nor the size shown in Table J2.3. Minimum weld size is determined by the thinner of the two parts joined.
J2.2 Fillet Welds
J2.2a Effective Area
The effective area of a fillet weld shall be the effective length multiplied by the effective throat. The effective throat of a fillet weld shall be the shortest distance from the root to the face of the diagrammatic weld. An increase in effective throat is permitted if consistent penetration beyond the root of the diagrammatic weld is demonstrated by tests using a given welding procedure specification (WPS), provided the fabricator establishes by testing the consistent production of such larger effective throat. Testing shall consist of sectioning the weld normal to its axis at mid-length and terminal ends. During production, single pass welds and the root pass of multi- pass welds shall be made using a mechanized, automatic, or robotic process with no decrease in current or increase in travel speed from that used for testing.
For fillet welds in holes and slots, the effective length shall be the length of the centerline of the weld along the center of the plane through the throat. In the case of overlapping fillets, the effective area shall not exceed the nominal cross-sectional area of the hole or slot in the plane of the faying surface.
J2.2b Limitations
Fillet welds shall meet the following limitations:
- (a) The minimum size of fillet welds shall be not less than the size required to transmit calculated forces nor the size as shown in Table J2.4. These limitations do not apply to fillet weld reinforcements of groove welds.
- (b) The maximum specified size of fillet welds of connected parts shall be
- (1) Along edges of material less than ¼ in. (6 mm) thick; not greater than the thickness of the material.
- (2) Along edges of material ¼ in. (6 mm) or more in thickness; not greater than the thickness of the material minus 1/16 in. (2 mm), unless the weld is especially designated on the design and fabrication documents to be built out to obtain full-throat thickness. In the as-welded condition, the distance between the edge of the base metal and the toe of the weld is permitted to be less than 1/16 in. (2 mm), provided the weld size is clearly verifiable.
- (c) The minimum length of fillet welds designed on the basis of strength shall be not less than four times the nominal weld size, or else the effective size of the weld shall not be taken to exceed one-quarter of its length.
- (d) The effective length of end-loaded fillet welds shall be determined as follows:
- (1) For fillet welds with a length up to 100 times the weld size, it is permitted to take the effective length equal to the actual length.
- (2) When the length of the fillet weld exceeds 100 times the weld size, the effective length shall be determined by multiplying the actual length by the reduction factor, β, determined as
(J2-1)
where
- (3) When the length of the weld exceeds 300 times the leg size, w, the effective length shall be taken as 180w.
User Note: For the effect of longitudinal fillet weld length in end connections upon the effective area of the connected member, see Section D3.
| Material Thickness of Thinner Part Joined, in. (mm) | Minimum Size of Fillet Weld,[a] in. (mm) |
|---|---|
| To 1/4 (6) inclusive | 1/8 (3) |
| Over 1/4 (6) to 1/2 (13) | 3/16 (5) |
| Over 1/2 (13) to 3/4 (19) | 1/4 (6) |
| Over 3/4 (19) | 5/16 (8) |
[a]Leg dimension of fillet welds. When non-low hydrogen electrodes are used, single pass welds must be used.
Note: See Section J2.2b for maximum size of fillet welds.
- (e) Intermittent fillet welds are permitted to be used to transfer calculated stress across a joint or faying surfaces and to join components of built-up members. The length of any segment of intermittent fillet welding shall be not less than four times the weld size, with a minimum of 1½ in. (38 mm).
- (f) In lap joints, the minimum amount of lap shall be five times the thickness of the thinner part joined, but not less than 1 in. (25 mm). Lap joints joining plates or bars subjected to axial stress that utilize transverse fillet welds only shall be fillet welded along the end of both lapped parts, except where the deflection of the lapped parts is sufficiently restrained to prevent opening of the joint under maximum loading.
- (g) Fillet weld terminations shall be detailed in a manner that does not result in a notch in the base metal subjected to applied tension loads. Components shall not be connected by welds where the weld would prevent the deformation required to provide assumed design conditions.
User Note: Fillet weld terminations should be detailed in a manner that does not result in a notch in the base metal transverse to applied tension loads that can occur as a result of normal fabrication. An accepted practice to avoid notches in base metal is to stop fillet welds short of the edge of the base metal by a length approximately equal to the size of the weld. In most welds, the effect of stopping short can be neglected in strength calculations.
There are two common details where welds are terminated short of the end of the joint to permit relative deformation between the connected parts:
- • Welds on the outstanding legs of beam double-angle connections are returned on the top of the outstanding leg and stopped no more than 4 times the weld size and not greater than half the leg width from the outer toe of the angle.
- • Fillet welds connecting transverse stiffeners to webs of girders that are ³/₄ in. (19 mm) thick or less are stopped 4 to 6 times the web thickness from the web toe of the flange-to web fillet weld, except where the end of the stiffener is welded to the flange.
Details of fillet weld terminations may be shown on shop standard details.
- (h) Fillet welds in holes or slots are permitted to be used to transmit shear and resist loads perpendicular to the faying surface in lap joints or to prevent the buckling or separation of lapped parts and to join components of built-up members. Such fillet welds are permitted to overlap, subject to the provisions of Section J2. Fillet welds in holes or slots are not to be considered plug or slot welds.
- (i) For fillet welds in slots, the ends of the slot shall be semicircular or shall have the corners rounded to a radius of not less than the thickness of the part containing it, except those ends that extend to the edge of the part.
J2.3 Plug and Slot Welds
J2.3a Effective Area
The effective shear area of plug and slot welds shall be taken as the nominal area of the hole or slot in the plane of the faying surface.
J2.3b Limitations
Plug or slot welds are permitted to be used to transmit shear in lap joints or to pre- vent buckling or separation of lapped parts, and to join component parts of built-up members, subject to the following limitations:
- (a) The diameter of the holes for a plug weld shall not be less than the thickness of the part containing it plus 5/16 in. (8 mm), rounded to the next larger odd 1/16 in. (even mm), nor greater than the minimum diameter plus 1/8 in. (3 mm) or 2 1/4 times the thickness of the weld.
- (b) The minimum center-to-center spacing of plug welds shall be four times the diameter of the hole.
- (c) The length of slot for a slot weld shall not exceed 10 times the thickness of the weld.
- (d) The width of the slot shall be not less than the thickness of the part containing it plus 5/16 in. (8 mm) rounded to the next larger odd 1/16 in. (even mm), nor shall it be larger than 2¼ times the thickness of the weld.
- (e) The ends of the slot shall be semicircular or shall have the corners rounded to a radius of not less than the thickness of the part containing it.
- (f) The minimum spacing of lines of slot welds in a direction transverse to their length shall be four times the width of the slot.
- (g) The minimum center-to-center spacing in a longitudinal direction on any line shall be two times the length of the slot.
- (h) The thickness of plug or slot welds in material 5/8 in. (16 mm) or less in thickness shall be equal to the thickness of the material. In material over 5/8 in. (16 mm) thick, the thickness of the weld shall be at least one-half the thickness of the material, but not less than 5/8 in. (16 mm).
J2.4 Strength
- (a) The design strength, φRn, and the allowable strength, Rn Ω, of welded joints shall be the lower value of the base material strength determined according to the limit states of tensile rupture and shear rupture and the weld metal strength determined according to the limit state of rupture as follows.
For the base metal
(J2-2)
For complete-joint-penetration and partial-joint-penetration groove welds, and plug and slot welds
(J2-3)
For fillet welds
(J2-4)
where
(1) For fillet welds where strain compatibility of the various weld elements is considered
(J2-5)
(2) For fillet welds to the ends of rectangular HSS loaded in tension
(3) For all other conditions
- θ = angle between the line of action of the required force and the weld longitudinal axis, degrees
The values of , and , and limitations thereon, are given in Table J2.5.
User Note: The base metal check need not be performed for fillet welds as illustrated in the Commentary.
User Note: The instantaneous center method is a valid way to calculate the strength of weld groups consisting of weld elements in various directions that considers strain compatibility of the weld elements.
Strain compatibility is satisfied for a linear weld group with a uniform leg size connecting elements with uniform stiffness that are loaded through the center of gravity and, therefore, the directional strength increase may be used. A linear weld group is one in which all elements are in a line or are parallel.
| Load Type and Direction Relative to Weld Axis | Pertinent Metal | Φ and Ω | Nominal Stress, FnBM or FnW, ksi (MPa) | Effective Area, ABM or Awe, in.2 (mm2) | Required Filler Metal Strength Level[a][b] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMPLETE-JOINT-PENETRATION GROOVE WELDS | |||||
| Tension— normal to weld axis | Strength of the joint is controlled by the base metal. | Matching filler metal shall be used. For T- and corner-joints with backing left in place, notch tough filler metal is required. See Section J2.6. | |||
| Compression— normal to weld axis | Strength of the joint is controlled by the base metal. | Filler metal with a strength level equal to or one strength level less than matching filler metal is permitted. | |||
| Tension or compression— parallel to weld axis | Tension or compression in parts joined parallel to a weld is permitted to be neglected in design of welds joining the parts. | Filler metal with a strength level equal to or less than matching filler metal is permitted. | |||
| Shear | Strength of the joint is controlled by the base metal. | Matching filler metal shall be used.[c] | |||
| PARTIAL-JOINT-PENETRATION GROOVE WELDS INCLUDING FLARE-V-GROOVE AND FLARE-BEVEL-GROOVE WELDS | |||||
| Tension— normal to weld axis | Base | Φ = 0.75 Ω = 2.00 | Fu | See J4 | Filler metal with a strength level equal to or less than matching filler metal is permitted. |
| Weld | Φ = 0.80 Ω = 1.88 | 0.60FEXX | See J2.1a | ||
| Compression— connections of members designed to bear as described in Section J1.4(b) | Compressive stress is permitted to be neglected in design of welds joining the parts. | ||||
| Compression— connections not designed to bear | Base | Φ = 0.90 Ω = 1.67 | Fy | See J4 | |
| Weld | Φ = 0.80 Ω = 1.88 | 0.90FEXX | See J2.1a | ||
| Tension or compression— parallel to weld axis | Tension or compression in parts joined parallel to a weld is permitted to be neglected in design of welds joining the parts. | ||||
| Shear | Base | Governed by J4 | |||
| Weld | Φ = 0.75 Ω = 2.00 | 0.60FEXX | See J2.1a | ||
| Load Type and Direction Relative to Weld Axis | Pertinent Metal | Φ and Ω | Nominal Stress, FnBM or Fnw, ksi (MPa) | Effective Area, ABM or Awe, in.2 (mm2) | Required Filler Metal Strength Level[a][b] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FILLET WELDS INCLUDING FILLETS IN HOLES AND SLOTS AND SKEWED T-JOINTS | |||||
| Shear | Base | Governed by J4 | Filler metal with a strength level equal to or less than matching filler metal is permitted. | ||
| Weld | φ = 0.75 Ω = 2.00 | 0.60FEXX[d] | See J2.2a | ||
| Tension or compression— parallel to weld axis | Tension or compression in parts joined parallel to a weld is permitted to be neglected in design of welds joining the parts. | ||||
| PLUG AND SLOT WELDS | |||||
| Shear—parallel to faying surface on the effective area | Base | Governed by J4 | Filler metal with a strength level equal to or less than matching filler metal is permitted. | ||
| Weld | φ = 0.75 Ω = 2.00 | 0.60FEXX | See J2.3a | ||
= filler metal classification strength, ksi (MPa) [a] For matching weld metal, see AWS D1.1/D1.1M, clause 5.6.1. [b] Filler metal with a strength level one strength level greater than matching is permitted. [c] Filler metals with a strength level less than matching are permitted to be used for CJP groove welds between the webs and flanges of built-up sections transferring shear loads, or in applications where high restraint is a concern. In these applications, the weld joint shall be detailed and the weld shall be designed using the thickness of the material as the effective throat, where = 0.80, = 1.88, and 0.60 is the nominal strength. [d] The provisions of Section J2.4(a) are also applicable.
- (b) For fillet weld groups concentrically loaded and consisting of elements with a uniform leg size that are oriented both longitudinally and transversely to the direction of applied load, the nominal strength, , of the fillet weld group is permitted to be determined as
(J2-6)
where
effective area of longitudinally loaded fillet welds, effective area of transversely loaded fillet welds,
User Note: The nominal strength of fillet welds groups consisting of elements that are oriented both longitudinally and transversely to the direction of applied load can also be calculated in accordance with Section J2.4(a) neglecting the directional strength increase.
J2.5 Combination of Welds
If two or more of the general types of welds (groove, fillet, plug, slot) are combined in a single joint, the strength of each shall be separately computed with reference to the axis of the group in order to determine the strength of the combination.
J2.6 Filler Metal Requirements
The choice of filler metal for use with CJP groove welds subjected to tension normal to the effective area shall comply with the requirements for matching filler metals given in AWS D1.1/D1.1M.
User Note: The following User Note Table summarizes the AWS D1.1/D1.1M provisions for matching filler metals. Other restrictions exist. For a complete list of base metals and prequalified matching filler metals, see AWS D1.1/D1.1M, Table 5.3 and Table 5.4.
| Base Metal (ASTM) | Matching Filler Metal |
|---|---|
| A36/A36M ≤ 3/4 in. (19 mm) thick | 60 and 70 ksi filler metal |
| A36/A36M > 3/4 in. (19 mm) thick, A588/ A588M[a], A1011/A1011M, A572/A572M Grade 50 (345) and 55 (380), A913/ A913M Grade 50 (345), A992/A992M | SMAW: E7015, E7016, E7018, E7028 Other processes: 70 ksi filler metal |
| A913/A913M Grade 60 (415) and 65 (450) | 80 ksi (550 MPa) filler metal |
| A913/A913M Grade 70 (485) | 90 ksi (620 MPa) filler metal |
[a]For corrosion resistance and color similar to the base metal, see AWS D1.1/D1.1M, clause 5.6.2.
Note
In joints with base metals of different strengths, either a filler metal that matches the higher strength base metal or a filler metal that matches the lower strength and produces a low hydrogen deposit may be used when matching strength is required.
Filler metal with a specified minimum Charpy V-notch toughness of 20 ft-lb (27 J) at 40°F (4°C) or lower shall be used in the following joints:
- (a) CJP groove welded T- and corner-joints with steel backing left in place, subjected to tension normal to the effective area, unless the joints are designed using the nominal strength and resistance factor or safety factor, as applicable, for a PJP groove weld
- (b) CJP groove welded splices subjected to tension normal to the effective area in heavy shapes, as defined in Sections A3.1d and A3.1e
The manufacturer’s Certificate of Conformance shall be sufficient evidence of compliance.
J2.7 Mixed Weld Metal
When Charpy V-notch toughness is specified, the process consumables for all weld metal, tack welds, root pass, and subsequent passes deposited in a joint shall be compatible to ensure notch-tough composite weld metal.