𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗱𝘀: 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀

A single crack along a weld bead isn’t just a flaw—it’s a 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 of deeper metallurgical or procedural issues. This longitudinal crack in a pipe weld tells a story of 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗴𝗮𝗽𝘀. Let’s break it down:  

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻?  

🔴𝗛𝗼𝘁 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 

- 𝑪𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆: Poor filler selection, high sulfur/phosphorus in base metal, or excessive joint restraint.  

- 𝑭𝒊𝒙: Use low-impurity materials and adjust weld geometry to reduce stress.  

🔴 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝗛𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸)

- 𝑪𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆: Moisture in electrodes, lack of preheat, or rapid cooling.  

- 𝑭𝒊𝒙: Bake consumables, preheat thick/high-carbon steel, and consider PWHT.  

🔴 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬  

- Incorrect heat input, skipped preheat/PWHT, or poor fit-up.  

𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 = 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻

✅ 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠: Pair base metal with compatible filler (check AWS specs).  

✅ 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐲: Thick sections and alloys 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 it—don’t guess, measure!  

✅ 𝐇𝐲𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨: Dry rods, clean surfaces, and avoid humid conditions.  

✅ 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: Balance heat input and travel speed for uniform cooling.  

𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝗧𝗶𝗽

Cracks often hide until it’s too late. 𝐍𝐃𝐓 (𝐔𝐓/𝐑𝐓) is your best friend for critical welds!