Page 37 - Quick Guide to Welding and Weld Inspection by S.E. Hughes, Clifford Matthews
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Chapter 3
Analysis of a Fusion Weld
Components of a welded joint
A welded joint comprises the weld, the heat affected zone
(HAZ) and the base metal. The components of the weld and
HAZ are shown in Fig. 3.1. The main features are as follows.
Excess weld metal
This is excess to requirements and does not add to the
strength of the weld. It is also known as the cap (a slang
term), reinforcement (BS term) or crown (US term).
Reinforcement is a poor term because it implies that adding
reinforcement strengthens the weld, which is not the case. In
practice, the addition of reinforcement (or excess weld metal)
can effectively weaken the weld by increasing the stress
concentration at the weld toes, hence reducing the fatigue life
of the joint.
Figure 3.1 Components of a welded joint
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