Welding

Distortion
Control
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What is distortion ?
Undesirable change in

Before distortion

original shape is called

DISTORTION
After distortion

Distortion occurs due to heat input

and mechanical forces.
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Experiment No 1:
DURING HEATED CONDITION

BEFORE HEATING AND AFTER COOLING

X + 9X

Uniform heating of a steel bar through out of its entire volume considerable expansion take place in all direction.
Now, if cooling of the bar is allowed evenly - retain its original
shape and size without distortion.

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So, we can say that,

Uniform heating and cooling of
a component that can expand
and contract does not cause
any appreciable distortion

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Experiment No 2 :
CLAMPING
JAWS

STEEL BAR BEFORE

HEATING

CLAMPING
JAWS

STEEL BAR AFTER HEATING

& COOLING DOWN

Repeat experiment no:1 but heat the steel bar in

clamp condition and see the changes in shape and size
after cooling.
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So, we can conclude that,

Restraint hinders free expansion and
contraction and causes material to
deform resulting in

Distortion
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Heat input

Gas cutting/heating

welding

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Distortion in case of spot heating?

HEAT SOURCE

HEATING
Heated area expands
Expansion restrained by surrounding solid area
Compressive stresses are developed
Further compressive stress leads to plastic
deformation

Material bulges at the spot towards heat source RKS,HZW

side

Distortion in case of spot heating?

COOLING
Spot area tends to contract.
Contraction restrained by surrounding hot area.
Material goes back to original position with plastic
deformation.

Resulting distortion
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Longitudinal distortion
WELD BEAD

ORIGINAL POSITION

WELD
BEAD

LONGITUDINAL
DISTORTION

AFTER WELDING
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Distortion in Butt welds

Longitudinal Distortion
It is contraction along the length of weld bead
It is maximum along weld bead and decreases at
points away from the bead.

In C/S of shell it lead to reduction in diameter at the

weld

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LONGITUDINAL SHRINKAGE
(A) BUTT WELDS IN CS/LAS
LS = 3. I .L / 100,000 t
LS = longitudinal shrinkage (mm)
I = welding current(amp)
L = length of weld (mm)
t = plate thickness (mm)
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EXAMPLE (LS IN BUTT WELDS)

Calculate LS for 6mm thick CS plate
welded by SMAW using 200 A current.
Solution : LS = 3. 200. L / 100,000 x 6
= L/1000 mm

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LONGITUDINAL SHRINKAGE
(B) FILLET WELD
LS = 25 Aw/ Ap
Aw = Weld X-sectional area
Ap = Resisting X-sectional area

Ap
Aw
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EXAMPLE OF LS IN FILLET
WELD
6
All dimensions in mm

75

8x8

6
100
LS = 1.52 mm
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Distortion in Butt welds

Transverse Distortion
It is the shrinkage perpendicular to the weld.

It leads to the development of high residual stress and

also cracking in case of highly restrained joint.

It is not uniform along the length of the plate

It is lesser at that end of plate where bead is started.

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Transverse distortion
WELD BEAD

TRANSVERSE
DISTORTION

ORIGINAL POSITION

WELD BEAD
AFTER WELDING
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TRANSVERSE SHRINKAGE IN
SINGLE PASS BUTT JOINTS
S = 0.2 Aw / t + 0.05 d
Where
S = Transverse Shrinkage (mm)
Aw = Cross sectional Area of Weld (mm2)
t = Thickness of Plates (mm)
d = Root Opening (mm)

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TRANSVERSE SHRINKAGE
DURING MULTIPASS WELDING
TS = TS0 + b (log w - log w0)
Where
TS = Total Transverse Shrinkage
TS0 = Transverse Shrinkage after first pass
w = Total weight of weld metal
w0 = weight of first pass weld metal
b

= a coefficient
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Effect of Various Procedures on

Transverse Shrinkage of Butt Welds
Procedures
Root Gap
Joint design
Electrode dia.
Degree of constraint
Peening
Gouging & repairs

Effect on TS
TS increases with increase in RG
Single Vee produces more TS than
double V
TS decreases with increase in electrode
dia.
TS decreases with Degree of constraint
TS decreases by peening
TS increases by these operations.

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TRANSVERSE SHRINKAGE
IN FILLET JOINTS
1. For T joints with two continuous fillets.
TS = Leg of fillet Weld (l)
x 1.02
Bottom Plate thickness (tb)
All dimensions in mm.

lxl
tb

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TRANSVERSE SHRINKAGE
IN FILLET JOINTS
2. For intermittent fillet welds , a correcting
factor of proportional length of fillet weld to
total length of joint should be used.

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TRANSVERSE SHRINKAGE
IN FILLET JOINTS
l
t

t
l

(3) For fillet welds in a lap joints between

plates of equal thickness (two welds)
TS =

Leg of fillet Weld (l)

Plate thickness (t)

x 1.52

All dimensions in mm.

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Angular distortion
AFTER WELDING

ORIGINAL POSITION

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Distortion in Butt welds

Angular Distortion
It is the bending transverse to the weld. Due to
non-uniform heating and cooling along the
thickness of plate.

This is the main source of mismatch and

dimensional inaccuracy in large welded
structures
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Angular Distortion in Butt Joints

1. Use Both Side Welding Technique in place of Single Side Welding

t1

t2

t3

g = 3 mm
t3 = 2 mm

t1 + 1/2 t3
t

= 0.6
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Angular Distortion in Fillet Welds

W

W
t
AD
l

AD = 0.0076 . W . l1.3
t2
Where
AD= Angular Distortion, mm
W=flange width, mm
l = weld leg length, mm
t = flange thickness, mm

AD
t

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Example of Angular Distortion

in Fillet Welds
Find the angular distortion in a double fillet
weld of a T-joint between a flange 1000 mm
wide and a vertical member when the thickness
of both the members is 6 mm and the weld leg
length = 8 mm
Solution.
0.0076 x 1000 x (8)1.3
3.15 mm.
AD =
=
(6)2
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Multiple Restrained Fillet Welds

AD

AD
L

1
4

x
L

1
2

AD = Angular distortion, mm. x = distance from weld to the

point where distortion is to be
L = span length, mm.
determined, mm.
= angular change, radians

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Example of AD in Multiple
Restrained Fillet Welds
In multiple restrained fillet welds the span
length is 1 m and the angular change is 9 0 at
a distance of 400 mm from the span end, find
the distortion.
Solution.
By putting L = 1000 mm, = 90 = 0.1571 rad.
x = L/2 - 400 = 100 mm in the Formula,
AD = 14.164 mm.
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Distortion in T-joints
Angular distortion

Before welding

After welding

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Distortion in T-joints
Longitudinal distortion
(a) pulling effect towards neutral axis

Section A - A

A
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Distortion in T-Stiffener
Longitudinal distortion
(b) pulling effect of welds above neutral axis.

Section A - A

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To prevent distortion :-

(A)
Reduce the effective
shrinkage force.
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Reduce effective shrinkage force

(A-1) Keep the angle of weld joint to the
barest minimum.
50 deg. +/- 5 deg.

keep the angle of weld joint 45 deg.

MINIMUM ANGLE, LESS WELDING , LESS HEAT INPUT

Hence less distortion
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Reduce effective shrinkage force

REINFORCEMENT REQUIRE MENT
20 MM (+5/-1)

KEEP REINFORCEMENT UP TO 19 MM

(A-2) Do not keep root gap more than required

(A-3) Do not do over- welding.
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7 mm +3/-1

keep fillet size 18 mm/6 mm

19 mm +3/-1

50 deg. +/- 5 deg.

keep the angle of weld joint 45 deg.

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Reduce effective shrinkage force

(A-4) Minimize no of passes larger size of
electrodes

MORE NO OF PASSES

LESS NO OF PASSES

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Reduce effective shrinkage force

(A-5) Place welds near the neutral axis

N. A.

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To prevent distortion :-

(B)
Make shrinkage work
for us
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Make shrinkage work for us

(B.1) Pre cambering OR Pre bending in plate

WEDGE

CLAMPS ALONG EDGE

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Make shrinkage work for us

(B-2) Keep over dimensions OR over
bend before welding

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To prevent distortion :-

(C)
Balance shrinkage force
with other forces

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Balance shrinkage forces

with other forces.
6
2

5
5

(C-1)
4

Do Sequence welding

3
2

1
4
1
2
3

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 Balance shrinkage forces

with other forces
(C-2) Back step welding

Welding progresion

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 Balance shrinkage forces

with other forces
(C-3) Back to back clamping for welding
PART -I
END PLATES
TACKED

PART -II
Two identical parts should be tacked back to back
together before welding as shown

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Back to back welding of saddles

SADDLEI

WELDING TACKS

SADDLE-II

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Good working
methods for
welding distortion
in our routine work
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Bulging of tube sheet of heat

exchanger

TUBE SHEET

SHELL

TUBE SHEET BULGES DURING SHELL

TO TUBE SHEET WELDING

Welding of shell to tube sheet

LEADS TO
Improper seating of gasket and
leakage

Non uniform projection of tube

ends from tube sheet face

CONTROLLED BY
Back to back

Weld optimum fillet size

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Distortion of shell long seams

Typical weld sequence and distortion observed

58T MIN LAS.

1184 mm DIA

D/4

D
3200
JOINT DETAIL
600

WELD SEQUENCE
2

OUTSIDE
/3T

/3T

INSIDE

600

0.2mm GAP

BACK
GOUGING

SAW

SMAW

SAW

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Distortion of shell long seams

( D/4 TEMPLATE READING

STAGE
1
2
3
4
5

SET-UP STAGE
AFTER SEAL RUN
AFTE R O/S WELDING
AFTER BACK GOUGING
AFTER I/S WELDING

1
4+
6+
8+
6+
4+

LOCATION
2
2+
4+
6+
5+
2.5 +

3
2+
5+
8+
5+
4+
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Distortion of circumferential seams in shell

Caused by longitudinal shrinkage
of weld
Reduction in diameter around
circumferential seam
CIRCSEAM
JIINT

C/S
SUGARCANE
EFFECT
SHELL

Reduction in shell length

Controlled by
Provide compression spiders on
both sides of C/S
Design weld joint to have minimum
weld metal deposit
Use restricted heat input
( minimum no. of passes )
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Gauge for checking long seam

distortion in plate stage welding
GAUGE
FOR CHECKING

PICK IN OR PICK OUT = A-B OR C-D

(MAXIMUM DIFFERENCE TO BE CONSIDERED)

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Gauge for checking distortion of

T- joint welding
GAUGE FOR CHECKING
A

PRE-TILT OF T-STIFFENER = A - C
SAGGING OF T-STIFFENER = A - B
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Distortion in flange to pipe welding

FLANGE WARPS

TEMP. SUPPORTS

FLANGE

FLANGE
FLANGE

PIPE

PIPE

PIPE

AFTER
WELDING

BEFORE
WELDING

Heavy fillet weld on flange to pipe joint leads to warping

of flange

Causing no machining allowance on flange face thickness

CONTROL : back to back welding
Temporary set up two flanges back to back as shown
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Sinking in of nozzle on shell

Controlling sinking

Provide rigid internal jacks

/supports with moon plates
/compression spider

Maintain optimum weld

preparation and fit up to avoid
extra weld deposit

Keep excess nozzle projection

at set up stage to compensate
for sinking
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Distortion During Oxy-acetylene

Cutting
PLATE

STRIP

STRIP CUTTING FROM PLATE

The strip tends to bow outwards as shown
Distortion ( bow ) results due to unequal heating of
the metal
During cutting when hot, the bow is more on cooling
& the bow diminishes slightly
Finally the strip never returns to its intended shape
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Controlling distortion during oxyacetylene cutting

PLATE

TORCH I

STRIP

DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT
FOR TORCHES
SCRAP

10 mm

TORCH II

METHOD I
Two Torches Technique

Mark strip of required width leaving 10 mm distance

Move two torches simultaneously carrying out cutting operation

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Controlling distortion during

oxy - acetylene cutting
PLATE
STRIPS

KERF

HOLE

Method II

Mark the strips with kerf allowance on the plate

Drill small hole in kerf allowance at distance 20 mm away from

the edge

Start cut from drilled hole in kerf to the end such that the strip
is attached to main plate

Cut the balance strip attached to the plate

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Controlling distortion during

oxy - acetylene cutting
30 mm

12 mm THK
PLATE

R250 mm
30 mm

PIERCE
START

50 mm

Aim : To get undistorted segment from the plate of size as

shown
Specific Steps

Mark leaving 30mm Dist. from edge

Start with pierce cut as shown instead of starting from the

edge

Follow the path as shown

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Reduction in distortion
Less weld edge preparation.
Less welding current as per WPS.
Higher base metal thickness.
Lesser welding passes
Do not over weld
More distortion in stainless steel then carbon
steel.
Less offset-Lesser welding-Lower distortion

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Reduction in distortion
Provide intermittent welding
Place weld near the neutral axis
Balancing weld around neutral axis
Back-step welding
Sequence welding
Pre bending OR Pre cambering
Back to back clamping
Double operator welding techniqueRKS,HZW