12/9/2018 Welding ASTM A514 or A514M-05 steel?

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Welding ASTM A514 or A514M-05 steel?

Before you do, take a close look at filler metals, heat input
THE FABRICATOR JUNE 2007 (/PUBLICATION/FAB/JUNE-2007)
JUNE 12, 2007
BY: DEAN C. PHILLIPS (/AUTHOR/DEAN-C-PHILLIPS)

As manufacturers strive for lower costs and greater efficiencies, they tend to substitute high-strength materials for standard materials.
One such high-strength material is ASTM A514/514M-05. Although it is not difficult to weld, joining it successfully requires paying close
attention to the preheat temperature, interpass temperature, and filler metal.
Cost and efficiency dictate manufacturing and fabricating trends in most industries. In addition to implementing lean work flow practices—better, faster transportation and
processing and minimal inventory—many companies turn to the use of higher-strength, lighter-weight materials to reduce costs and improve welding productivity.

ASTM A514 and A514M-05 high-strength, low-alloy, quenched-and-tempered steels are among these materials. Although they have been available for many years, they
continue to pose some distinct challenges for welders. Welding these materials successfully is a matter of understanding some key factors, including filler metal choices and
preheating and interpass heat requirements.

What It Is, Why It Is

ASTM A514 is a specification for 100 kilopounds-per-square-inch-yield, low-alloy, quenched-and-tempered steel intended for structural applications and is typically known in
the industry as USS (United States Steel) nomenclature T1®, regardless of the manufacturer.

A514 grades are A, B, E, F, H, P, Q, and S. Each grade has a unique chemistry and may differ in the maximum thickness to which it is rolled, from 1¼ in. to 6 in. The material
thickness affects the mechanical properties. For instance, A514 rolled to 2½ in. or less must have 110-KSI to 130-KSI tensile strength, 100-KSI minimum yield strength, and
18 percent elongation. For materials 2½ to 6 in. thick, the mechanical properties are 100-KSI to 130-KSI tensile strength, 90-KSI minimum yield strength, and 16 percent
elongation.

The hardness for material thickness up to and including ¾ in. is 235 to 293 HBW (Brinell). Note that the specification does not list hardness requirements for materials thicker
than ¾ in.

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One of the reasons for the difference in properties among these thicknesses is the quenching. The thicker the material, the slower the quench rate, which results in lower
minimum yield and tensile strengths.

Typically, this material is used for structural applications. In many cases, the term structural refers to buildings, but the material also is used in heavy equipment structures to
reduce weight and improve payload capacity, such as in railcars and their components, large mining truck frames, semitrailer frames, and crane boom sections.

Because the typical hardness of the materials is 22 to 27 Rockwell C, it is also used for wear strips, cutting edges, and side cutters. Typical applications are backhoe buckets
and other wear components in earthmoving equipment.

Making the Choice: Filler Metals

Welding A514 is not complicated when some precautions, especially with filler metal choices, are used.

A primary concern is filler metal hydrogen content. You should not use filler metals that deposit weld metal with diffusible hydrogen content greater than 8 ml per 100 grams of
deposited weld metal. A514 is sensitive to diffusible hydrogen, which may result in hydrogen cracking.

Filler Metal Selection

ASTM A514 and A514M-05
Up to 2½ In. Thick
Welding Process AWS A5 Specification Classification
SMAW A5.5/A5.5M-2005 E11018M or E12018M
Solid electrodes ER 110S-1 and ER120S-1
GMAW A5.28/A5.28M-2005 or
Metal-cored electrodes E110C-K3, E110C-K4, and E120C-K4

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12/9/2018 Welding ASTM A514 or A514M-05 steel? - The Fabricator
E11XT1-K3C and -K3M
E11XT5-K3C and -K3M
FCAW A5.29/A5.29M-2005
E11XT5-K4C and -K4M
E12XT5-K4C and -K4M
Solid electrode/flux combination F11AX-EXXX-XXX and F12AX-EXXX-XXX
SAW A5.23/A5.23M-1997 or
Composite electrode/flux combination F11AX-ECXXX-XXX and F12AX-ECXXX-XXX

Figure 1
The filler metal strength depends on the application of the A514. Figure 1 shows filler metals you can use to match the strength of base materials up to 2½ in. thick where the
same mechanical properties as the base material are required. On base material thicknesses greater than 2½ in., you can use the same filler metals, but their strength
exceeds that of the base metal, a condition called overmatching strength (see Figure 2).

Filler Metal Selection

ASTM A514 and A514M-05
Greater Than 2½ Inches Thick
Welding Process AWS A5 Specification Classification
SMAW A5.5/A5.5M-2005 E10018M
Solid electrodes ER 100S-1
GMAW A5.28/A5.28M-2005 or
Metal-cored electrodes E100C-K3
FCAW A5.29/A5.29M-2005 E10XT1-K3C and -K3M
E10XT5-K3C and -K3M
FCAW A5.29/A5.29M-2005
E10XT1-K7C and -K7M
E10XT1-K9C and -K9M
Solid electrode/flux combination F10AX-EXXX-XXX
SAW A5.23/A5.23M-1997 or
Composite electrode/flux combination F10AX-ECXXX-XXX

Figure 2

When joining A514 to other low-alloy steels or carbon steels of lower strength, use a filler metal with strength that meets the lower-strength base material's properties. For
example, when welding ASTM A36 to A514, use a 70-KSI-tensile-strength electrode to match the lower-strength material. Don't focus solely on strength; keep the hydrogen
cracking risk in mind.

Heat Input Control

Even though A514 is readily weldable, excessive preheat and interpass temperatures and welding heat input can affect the alloy's chemical properties. Figure 3 lists typical
preheat and interpass temperatures for A514. These temperatures apply whether you are welding A514 to itself or to other, lower-strength materials.

Preheat and Interpass Temperatures

Minimum Preheat and Maximum Preheat
Thickness (In.) Interpass Temperature and Interpass Temperature
(F) (F)
Up to ¾ 50
400
¾ to 1½ 125
1½ to 2½ 175
400
More than 2½ 225

Figure 3
Although welding A514 is not difficult, joining it successfully requires close
attention to the preheat and interpass temperatures.

It should be noted that preheat and interpass temperatures higher than those shown in Figure 3 may alter the mechanical properties of the material. Tempil® Sticks, contact
pyrometers, infrared thermometers, or other heat-measuring devices should be used to control preheat and interpass temperatures.

In addition to the preheat and interpass temperature controls, heat input, which is a function of amperage, voltage, and travel speed, must be restricted. Heat input is
expressed in joules per inch. The formula is:

Heat Input (joules/in.) = (Amperage x Voltage x 60) ÷ Travel Speed (IPM)

Typical heat input is about 55,000 joules per in. (±20 percent). For other heat inputs, it is advisable to contact the steel manufacturer for recommendations.

As a final precaution, A514 is not intended to be used in the postweld heat-treated (PWHT) condition, as it will alter the mechanical properties for which the material was
intended.

Other sources of information for welding A514/A514M-05 steel are the steel manufacturers' fabrication guides and:

AWS D1.1, Structural Code—Steel

D14.3, Specification for Welding
Earthmoving, Construction, and
Agricultural Equipment
D15.1, Railroad Welding Specification—Cars and Locomotives.

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Visit www.thefabricator.com (http://www.thefabricator.com); enter the article number (digits only) in the home page search box:

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Dean C. Phillips
Contributing Writer
Hobart Brothers Co.
101 Trade Square
Troy, OH 45373
Phone: 937-332-4000

http://www.hobartbrothers.com (http://www.hobartbrothers.com)

More Content by Dean C. Phillips (/author/dean-c-phillips)

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Mohamed Ibrahim • 6 years ago

A514 -eh36 weldinig crack what is the proceture to be repair? please explain to me
10 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Dr.M.L.Mehta • 6 years ago

Can one use prequalified welding procedure such as CWB for A514-GR Q and to carbon steel
metconsultant@yahoo .com
Dr.M.L.Mehta
4△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

AMoore999 • 6 years ago

I believe the center column of Figure 3 should be "Minimum Preheat and Interpass Temperature"

1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

welder > AMoore999 • 6 years ago

Agree..I also think so.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Galbukh • 6 years ago

What about time to weld comparing to A36 material?
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Yathish Gk • 7 years ago

The information listed is very useful, thank you
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

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