16
Pipe Welding and Shielded Metal
Arc Welding Practice:
Jobs 16-J1J17 (Pipe)
Chapter Objectives
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
16-1 Describe pipe welding and the pipe welding industry.
16-2 Describe pipe welding codes/standards and inspection
testing methods.
16-3 Produce groove weld butt joints with and without
backing specimens in various positions with various
electrodes.
16-4 Produce groove and fillet weld branch connection
specimens in various positions with various
electrodes.
Introduction
The next several chapters present information and prac-
tice jobs in shielded metal arc welding carbon steel pipe
and in gas tungsten arc welding and gas metal arc welding
steel, stainless steel, and aluminum plate and pipe. You
should undertake these jobs only after you have success-
fully mastered all of the skills practiced in the previous
jobs and passed all of the welding tests given in the previ-
ous chapter. Many of the welding skills necessary to mas-
ter these new welding processes are very similar to those
you have already learned. You should have very little dif-
ficulty learning these new skills.
You are strongly urged to make every effort to master
pipe welding skills. There is a need for people with pipe
welding skills, and this need will continue in the years
ahead.
You will learn that piping systems are a very safe and
effective method of transporting products. For these rea-
sons pipelines and piping systems will continue to be built
and existing systems will need upgrading, and welders
will be required to meet these demands. Table 16-1 gives
some indications where piping systems are used. For ex-
ample, it is forecasted that peak demand will grow at an
annual rate as high as 1.5 percent through 2030. Power
plants rely heavily on piping systems, pressure vessels,
and various other welded structures.
469
 Table 16-1 Pipefitter Welders Needed in the Following
Industries

Industry Piping Systems

Petroleum Crude oil pipelines, finished product pipelines, offshore
drilling platforms, refineries, pumping stations.
Natural gas Distribution pipelines, compressor stations, local
distribution stations.
Water and sewage treatment Water pipelines for drinking, fire safety and irrigation
purposes, sewage and water filtering and treating plants.
Power plants Reactors, pressure vessels, heating and cooling piping
systems. These can be land based or shipboard.

The History of Pipe Welding alternative power generation such as wind turbines, solar,
The first piping system in recorded history was used to etc., refineries, chemical and petrochemical plants, paper
carry water. Early piping systems were made of stone or mills, textile mills, aerospace plants, silicon chip manu-
wood. Welded piping was of considerable importance in facturing, and shipyards.
the growth of the modern pipeline industry. The most common welded piping in buildings is low
The first attempt at welding pipeline involved the pressure steam and hot water systems for heating. A large
oxyacetylene process and took place in 1911 near Phila- building or manufacturing plant needs piping for plumb-
delphia. In 1922 the first attempt was made to arc weld a ing, sprinkler systems, air conditioning systems, gas and
pipeline. The job involved 150 joints on a 12-inch line in air lines, and lines that carry the various materials used in
Mexico. A major advancement came in 1926 when large the manufacturing process. These pipelines must service
diameter, seamless steel pipe was made available. The a combination of low and high pressure and temperature
covered electrode was introduced to pipeline welding in conditions.
1930 when it was used with great success on a 32-mile, Power plant piping systems and nuclear piping sys-
20-inch line in Kansas. tems, Fig. 16-2, are usually under very high temperature
The early pipelines had small diameters, but in 1942 and pressure and often contain radioactive fluids. Joint
the Big Inch, a 30-inch diameter line, was completed tightness is absolutely essential because of the dangers of
from Houston, Texas, to Linden, New Jersey. radioactive contamination. The temperature in these instal-
lations may exceed 1,000F, and the pressure may exceed
2,500 p.s.i. Highly corrosive materials and conditions
Pipe Welding Today
Today piping is made out of many materials and
in many sizes to meet the demands of modern in-
dustry. The ferrous metals include wrought iron,
carbon steels, chromium-molybdenum alloy
steels, low temperature steels, stainless steels,
and various lined and clad steels. The nonfer-
rous metals include aluminum and aluminum
alloys (Fig.16-1), nickel and nickel alloys, tita-
nium and titanium alloys, and copper and copper
alloys. Nonmetallic materials include polyvinyl
chloride, fiberglass, and composites. In addition,
metal piping may be lined with nonmetallic ma-
terials such as glass, plastics, cement, and wood.
The number of materials required for piping
systems is expanding constantly due to the need
for better materials to meet increasingly severe
operating conditions. Industries requiring spe- Fig. 16-1 Aluminum piping fabricated in the shop for a large chemical
cial piping include power plants, nuclear plants, plant. Crane Co.

470Chapter 16Pipe Welding and Shielded Metal Arc Welding Practice: Jobs 16-J1J17 (Pipe)

Fig. 16-2 Inside a pipe-fabricating shop. Several pipe fabrications for a power
plant are shown: two pipe headers and a butt joint groove weld in a long length
of pipe. Crane Co.
make it necessary to use piping of stainless steel, nickel
steels, titanium, and various other nonferrous materi-
als when high temperature or pressure is not involved.
Welded pipeline, Fig. 16-3, forms an underground network
for transporting natural gas, crude oil, refined petroleum
products, and many other products including drinking
water. The pipeline system is set up to deliver these prod-
ucts to all sections of the United States. Our nations pipe-
lines supply us with commodities that are fundamental to
Fig. 16-3 Overland pipeline being welded in the field. Note that
a welder works from each side of the pipe. Nigel Bowles/Alamy
Stock Photo
Pipe Welding and Shielded Metal Arc Welding Practice: Jobs 16-J1J17 (Pipe) Chapter 16471
the American way of lifea system as essen-
tial as electric and telephone wires. Pipelines
transport the fuel for our cars, trucks, planes,
and shipsthe energy needed for inexpensive
shipment of our factory products and for our
mobile lifestyles. Pipelines also deliver, at
very low cost, the crude oil that refineries con-
vert into essential materials for core American
industries such as plastics, pharmaceuticals,
and agriculture. Drinking water and sewage
treatment are also provided by a safe, reliable
pipeline system. The companies that build
and operate interstate pipelines have created
the safest mode of transportation todaysafer
than highway, rail, airborne, and waterborne
transport. Yet, few people are aware of the
work done by pipelines because this national
infrastructure has been built underground for
safety and aesthetic reasons.
There are well over a million miles of
pipeline. Eighty percent of these lines are
welded, and all new pipelines are completely
welded. On small diameter and low pressure
lines plastic pipe has become very popular.
Even it is welded and this will be covered in
Chapter 31. On short pipelines, diameters of
80 and 96 inches have become common. Water pipelines
are not as long as the lines for gas and other products,
but many of them are much larger. The Hoover Dam pen-
stocks, for example, are 30 feet in diameter and have a
wall thickness up to 234 inches. A line named Capline is
a giant hauler. It is an underground steel pipe 630miles
long and 40 inches in diameter that is capable of mov-
ing 4,000,000 barrels of oil a day into Illinois from the
Louisiana oilfields. If it were gasoline, a days supply
would keep an average family car on the road for 30,000
years. The Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline is a historic
infrastructure project. For the first time, a major energy
project places the northeastern United States at the be-
ginning of North Americas natural gas pipeline network
with close proximity to a significant supply basin. This
historic project introduces natural gasa clean, effi-
cient, and cost-competitive energy sourceto areas in
Maine and the Northeast that do not currently have ac-
cess to natural gas. Maritimes provides up to 530,000
MBtu/day of incremental transportation capacity, bring-
ing newly developed natural gas reserves from the Sable
Island area, offshore Nova Scotia, to markets in A tlantic
Canada, and the northeastern United States and was
placed in service on December 1, 1999.
Another major pipeline is the Alliance Pipeline. The
Canadian portion of the system consists of 211 miles of
42-inch and 758 miles of 36-inch diameter steel pipe. There
are 40 receipt points connecting with lateral pipelines to-
taling about 434 miles, ranging in length from about 0.2
to 96 miles and in diameter from 4 to 24 inches. There
are seven mainline compressor stations of about 31,000
to 40,000 horsepower each, spaced about 120 miles apart.
Mainline block valves are spaced about every 20 miles. The
U.S. portion of the system consists of 888 miles of 36-inch
diameter steel pipe. This high-pressure natural gas trans-
mission system delivers rich natural gas from the Western
Canadian Sedimentary Basin to the Chicago market hub.
As a side note, Alliance Pipeline contributes $1.8 million
annually toward community investment initiatives and pro-
grams to support education, environmental stewardship,
community development, leadership development, and
safety in the communities across the pipeline system.
Details of the Alliance Pipeline:
Initial capacity 1,325,000,000 ft3/day
Overall mainline length 1,857 mi
Canada969 mi
United States 888 mi
Compressor stations (14)
31,00040,000 hp
Canada (7)
United States (7)
Mainline pipe diameter 3642 in.
Mainline pipe thickness 0.621 in.
Mainline operating pressure 1,740 p.s.i.
Lateral gathering system (44) 434 mi
Lateral pipe diameter 4.524 in.
Rich gas system Up to 1,188 Btu/ft3
There are approximately three times as many miles of
pipeline in the United States as there are miles of railroad
track. The lines start in the gas and oil fields and feed
natural gas into towns and cities and crude oil into big
refineries. Petroleum products flow out of the refineries
into still more miles of pipelines. Gasoline, for example,
flows through pipe to terminals where it is picked up by
tank trucks and delivered to service stations.
A pipeline system can be compared with the Mississippi
River. It begins as a multitude of tiny tributaries and ends
in a maze of channels at the delta.
These interstate pipelines deliver over 12.9 billion barrels
of petroleum each year. (There are 42 gallons in a barrel.)
This amount combined with the natural gas and water
delivered through pipelines accounts for approximately
30 percent of the nations total overland cargo. The cost to
transport a barrel of petroleum products from Houston to
the New York harbor is about $1, or about 212 cents per gal-
lon at your local gasoline station. A pipeline network deliv-
ers a product that is an integral part of Americas economy
472Chapter 16Pipe Welding and Shielded Metal Arc Welding Practice: Jobs 16-J1J17 (Pipe)
and does it safely and efficiently, at low cost. Replac-
ing even a modest-sized pipeline, which might transport
150,000 barrels per day, would require 750 tanker truck-
loads per day, a load delivered every 2 minutes around the
clock. Replacing the same pipeline with a railroad train
of tank cars carrying 2,000 barrels each would require a
75-car train to arrive and be unloaded every day. As an ex-
ample, the cost efficiency for petroleum pipelines depends
on a relatively small national workforce of about 16,000
skilled men and women, yet that workforce transports over
600 billion ton-miles of freight each year. These workers
accomplish this job so efficiently that Americas oil pipe-
lines transport 17 percent of all U.S. freight, but cost only
2percent of the nations freight bill.
Product pipelines transport more than 50 types of re-
fined petroleum products items such as various grades
of motor gasoline, home heating oil, diesel fuel, aviation
gasoline, jet fuels, and kerosene. For instance, Colonial
Pipeline, the major product pipeline that stretches from
Texas to New Jersey, transports almost 40 different for-
mulations of gasoline alonedifferent grades of each
mandated type of gasoline, the requirements for which
vary seasonally and regionally. Liquefied ethylene, pro-
pane, butane, and some petrochemical feedstocks are also
transported through oil pipelines. These various products
shipped are referred to as batches. The physical principles
of hydraulics keep the batches of liquid from blending and
contaminating one another except where they actually
touch. These interfaces between different shipments are
separated out when they arrive at their destination and are
reprocessed. Sometimes batches are separated by metal
pigs or plugs that keep batches from touching. Pigs are
also used for cleaning the interior surfaces of pipelines to
help prevent corrosion. Specially developed smart pigs
containing instrumentation packages are used to double-
check pipeline integrity.
The speed at which products move through the pipeline
averages from 3 to 8 miles per hour depending upon line
size, pressure, and other factors such as the density and
viscosity of the liquid being transported. At these rates, it
takes from 14 to 22 days to move liquids from Houston,
Texas, to New York City.
Building a Pipeline
Running a pipeline across the country has been reduced
to a smooth step-by-step production process that gets the
job done with a minimum of effort and time. Usually the
workers who build pipelines are specialists who travel from
country to country, following the jobs wherever they are.
On the job site the bulldozers and scrapers clear and
grade the right-of-way. Then come the trucks, bearing sec-
tions of pipe which may be as long as 80feet. Caterpillar
tractors with side booms lay out the pipe along
the trail. If there is a curve in the right-of-way,
a tractor with huge jaws grabs a section of the
pipe and bends it.
The tractor is followed by a ditching ma-
chine, which scoops out the trench at the rate of
a mile a day. And solid rock that is in the way of
the digger is blasted out by the dynamite crew.
The pipe is strung out along the trench where
the crews of welders join the pipe joints to-
gether to make a continuous pipeline, Fig. 16-4.
The welding crews may consist of a crew who
line up the pipe, a crew of tackers, and a crew
of welders who apply the root pass, the interme-
diate pass, and the finishing pass. Radiograph
technicians and/or ultrasonic technicians check
the completed welds. If a weld shows any faults,
it is cut out and rewelded.
The pipe is ready to be put into the trench Fig. 16-4 Making a position weld on a pipeline. Travel is downhill, but travel
after it has been properly wrapped and cathodic uphill is a welding procedure used on some applications.
protection applied. The line receives its final
check and is placed in the trench.
When put into service, the line is continually checked location of pipelines near construction and demolition
for leaks by metering devices at each end of the line to operations or violations of other safety standards. The
check input and output. Leaks can also be spotted from maximum civil penalty was doubled to $1 million.
the air. The big pipeline companies have fleets of small Expands state oversight of hazardous liquid and natu-
planes. A pilot can patrol 100 miles of line in an hour and ral gas pipelines,
find a spot of oil no bigger than a hat. Increases outlays for safety efforts by $13 billion over
The use of pipelines as cargo carriers is in its infancy. several years. This includes research into technologies
If a rubber ball or an electronic sensing device can be sent to detect pipeline flaws better.
through a pipeline, someday a capsule loaded with mail, Improves whistle-blower protections.
ore, oranges, or even people may be transported this way.
Welded-Pipe Application
Safety Concerns In the past, pipe was joined together only by mechanical
A pipeline safety bill created standards for oil and natu- means such as threaded joints, flanges with bolts and gas-
ral gas pipelines. This would subject operators who vio- kets, and lead and hemp joints. At the present time, practi-
late the law to higher fines. More than 1.6 million miles cally all pipes 2 inches in diameter and larger are joined
of natural gas pipelines and 155,000 miles of hazardous by welding. The materials to be handled, the operating
liquid pipelines weave through the country. temperature, and the internal pressure required make any
Key aspects for the bill are: other method of joining out of the question for many pip-
ing systems. Many of todays industrial processes would
Requires operators to inspect pipelines every five years,
not have been possible with threaded joints in piping in-
although the Transportation Departments inspector
stallations. The discovery, development, and application
general would have some discretion to lift the mandate.
Requires operators to submit to state or federal over- of nuclear energy certainly would not have taken place.
The important advantages of welded piping installa-
sight agencies a plan to enhance the qualifications of
tions include:
pipeline personnel.
Requires owners and operators of pipelines to report Permanent installation
to the Transportation Department any spill of more Improved overall strength
than five gallons. Low maintenance costs because of leakproof,
Increases from $25,000 to $500,000 the civil penalty care-free joints
for each failure by an operator to mark accurately the Ease of erection

Pipe Welding and Shielded Metal Arc Welding Practice: Jobs 16-J1J17 (Pipe) Chapter 16473
 Improved flow characteristics in position, and welded. As- This
Reduction in weight due to compactness and lighter semblies can be fabricated
weight fittings conveniently in the shop or
More pleasing appearance at the floor level of a con-
More economical application of insulation struction job, and then they
can be quickly tied into the
Cost Welded fittings are available that meet or are lower system. Less manual labor is
than the installed cost of threaded fittings of comparable required than for a threaded
size. It is estimated that if all joints on a piping system are system because wrench-
welded, a saving of 50 percent can be realized on the cost ing is not required. Welding
of material alone. Threading cuts the effective thickness equipment is lighter and eas- Not This

of pipe wall practically in half. When welding fittings are
used, pipe with much thinner walls can be used to reduce
cost without lowering the efficiency of the piping system.
Thus, welded piping systems make sense not only from
the standpoint of service durability and safety but also
from the standpoint of cost.
Strength Welded fittings have the same thickness as the
pipe with which they are used, Fig. 16-5. They are joined
to the pipe by an equal thickness of weld. There is no loss
of strength caused by thread cutting. The life expectancy
of a welded system is double that of threaded pipe.
Joint Security Welded fitt ings and pipe are permanently
joined by a metal bond so that pipe, fittings, and welds all
become integral parts of the system. The security of the
joints does not depend upon
This the strength used in wrench-
ing nor the amount of dope
applied. There is no chance
for leaks due to vibration or
stress.
Flow The inside diameters
of welded fittings and pipe
meet exactly. There are no
step-ups or step-downs as
in a threaded system. Pock-
ets that create turbulence,
Not This
clogging, and erosion are
eliminated so that water
or coolant flows freely,
Fig.16-6.
Installation When assem
bling a welded piping system,
there is no need to calculate
overlaps for threading nor to
allow for differences in the
Fig. 16-5 Welded piping depth of joints. Roughing-in
improves utility and appear- is quicker because the pipe is
ance. It is also leakproof. simply cut to length, placed
ier to handle than threading
equipment.
Testing and RepairWhen
contractors install a threaded
piping system, they know
that there will be some leaks
which must be tightened be-
fore the system goes into Fig. 16-6 Welded piping
operation. They also know improves the flow of materials.
that in some cases they will
have to repair leaks after the
system has been completed.
Contractors may have to
take out three or more fit-
tings or repair a leaking joint.
They even may have to recut
some of the pipe. As a rule
of thumb, contractors esti-
mate that 5 to 10 percent of
This
their cost for labor will be for
this kind of work. Such repair
is not necessary on welded
piping because no hemp, gas-
kets, or other sealing materi-
als are used.
Easy Insulation The outside
diameters of the pipe and
fittings are identical, so that
the application of insulation
is simple. There is just one Not This
smooth surface and no bulky
fittings or difficult angles. Fig. 16-7 Welded piping
Sleeve or tubular insulation ensures the easy application
can be slipped on over the of insulation.
pipe and fittings without dif-
ficulty. Tape or wraparound insulation can be applied
over joints as smoothly as over pipe lengths, Fig. 16-7.
Once applied, insulation never has to be removed to get at
loosened and leaking joints.

474Chapter 16Pipe Welding and Shielded Metal Arc Welding Practice: Jobs 16-J1J17 (Pipe)
Weight Since the ends of the fittings need not encompass
welded pipe, considerable weight is saved through the re-
duced diameter and shorter length of each fitting. The fact
that pipe with thinner walls can be used also cuts down on
the weight of the system.
Appearance The smooth lines of a welded piping sys-
tem present a much more professional appearance than
a threaded system. There are no unsightly bulges and ex-
posed threads.
Space Welded-pipe systems are ideal for installations
where space is a problem. Fittings are compact, and very
little clearance is needed when the fabricator is welding
instead of swinging a wrench or turning a fitting. A space
shuttle is an example of a limited area in which piping
systems are required.
Equipment If a threaded system with a full range of pipe
sizes from 2 to 6 inches is being installed, the worker
may need up to three different threading outfits, a dozen
pipe wrenches, expensive dies, reamers, and pipe cutters.
Welding, on the contrary, requires only one unit for pipes
of all sizes. The exact equipment will vary, depending on
the welding process.
Pipe Specifications and Materials
The American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) and
the American Petroleum Institute (API) issue specifica-
tions for ferrous and nonferrous pipe. Study Table 16-2
which lists standard pipe sizes.
Carbon Steel Pipe Carbon steel is by far the most widely
used material in piping systems today. The relatively low
cost of carbon steel pipe and its excellent forming and

Table 16-2 Pipe Dimensions

Nominal Wall Thickness for Schedule Numbers

Nominal
Pipe Outside Schedule Schedule Schedule Schedule Schedule Schedule Schedule Schedule Schedule Schedule
Size Diameter 10 20 30 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
8
1
0.405 0.068 0.095
4
1
0.540 0.088 0.119
8
3
0.675 0.091 0.126
2
1
0.840 0.109 0.147 0.187
4
3
1.050 0.113 0.154 0.218
1 1.315 0.133 0.179 0.250
1 4
1
1.660 0.140 0.191 0.250
1 2
1
1.900 0.145 0.200 0.281
2 2.375 0.154 0.218 0.343
2 2
1
2.875 0.203 0.276 0.375
3 3.5 0.216 0.300 0.437
312 4.0 0.226 0.318
4 4.5 0.237 0.337 0.437 0.531
5 5.563 0.258 0.375 0.500 0.625
6 6.625 0.280 0.432 0.562 0.718
8 8.625 0.250 0.277 0.322 0.406 0.500 0.593 0.718 0.812 0.906
10 10.75 0.250 0.307 0.365 0.500 0.593 0.718 0.843 1.000 1.125
12 12.75 0.250 0.330 0.406 0.562 0.687 0.843 1.000 1.125 1.312
14 OD 14.0 0.250 0.312 0.375 0.437 0.593 0.750 0.937 1.062 1.250 1.406
16 OD 16.0 0.250 0.312 0.375 0.500 0.656 0.843 1.031 1.218 1.437 1.562
18 OD 18.0 0.250 0.312 0.437 0.562 0.718 0.937 1.156 1.343 1.562 1.750
20 OD 20.0 0.250 0.375 0.500 0.593 0.812 1.031 1.250 1.500 1.750 1.937
24 OD 24.0 0.250 0.375 0.562 0.687 0.937 1.218 1.500 1.750 2.062 2.312
30 OD 30.0 0.312 0.500 0.625

Pipe Welding and Shielded Metal Arc Welding Practice: Jobs 16-J1J17 (Pipe) Chapter 16475
welding properties demand its use except for extreme
conditions. Carbon steel pipe with a tensile strength up to
70,000 p.s.i. is available for high temperature, high pres-
sure service.
High Yield-Strength Pipe High yield-strength pipe has
been developed for high pressure transmission lines be-
cause of the cost advantage of using lighter weight pipe
for long, cross-country lines. This pipe must be readily
weldable in the field. Therefore, carbon steels or high
strength, low alloy steels are preferred.
Chrome-Moly Pipe The addition of chromium and molyb-
denum inhibits graphitization and oxidation and increases
high temperature strength. These alloying elements have
advanced the useful temperature limits of piping systems,
but there are certain drawbacks. Chrome steels have a
pronounced tendency to air-harden, particularly when the
amount of chromium is 2 percent or more. In such cases,
special care in fabrication, special welding procedures,
and carefully controlled annealing are necessary.
Chrome-Nickel (Stainless-Steel) PipeSpecial consid-
eration must be given to the austenitic stainless steels
when they are to be welded, hot formed, or used for cor-
rosion resistance. At temperatures from 800 to 1,500F,
chromium carbides are formed along the grain boundar-
ies and reduce corrosion resistance. This characteristic is
minimized by the addition of small amounts of stabilizing
elements such as nobium or titanium or by other methods.
Low Temperature Pipe There is an ever-increasing de-
mand for pipe that can provide satisfactory service at low
temperatures. There are various grades of steel pipe for
low temperature service. Other grades may be furnished to
the general requirements of this specification.
Nonferrous Pipe Nonferrous pipe is used for such ex-
treme conditions as very low temperatures, very high
temperatures, and corrosive conditions beyond the abili-
ties of ferrous metals. The most common nonferrous pipe
materials are nickel, copper, titanium, and aluminum
and their many alloyed compositions: Monel, Inconel,
Hastelloy, red brass, yellow brass, and cupro-nickel.
Shielded Metal Arc Welding of Pipe
Shielded metal arc welding is one of the principal pro-
cesses for welding pipe both in the shop and in the field.
Welds of X-ray quality are produced on a production
basis. This process may be used for nearly all ferrous and
nonferrous piping. Standard welding power sources that
produce alternating or direct current such as a rectifier,
transformer, inverter, or an engine-driven machine may
476Chapter 16Pipe Welding and Shielded Metal Arc Welding Practice: Jobs 16-J1J17 (Pipe)
be used. A wide range of electrode types and sizes are
available.
Welding may be done in all positions, and the direction
of welding may be up or down.
Pipe Welding Electrodes
E6010 Classification This type of shielded arc electrode
is generally used in the welding of carbon steel pipe. It
is also used to weld the stringer bead on higher strength
pipe. The deposits of electrodes in this classification have
a tensile strength of 50,000 to 65,000 p.s.i.
Some electrode manufacturers make two types of
electrodes under the E6010 classification: one that meets
the general classification and another that is especially
designed for pipe. The electrode for pipe has a more ac-
curately directed arc and improved wash-in action on the
inside of the pipe. These features permit a slightly narrower
gap but still produce a flat inside bead. The narrower gap
reduces the volume of weld metal in the joint so that over-
all welding speed is increased. This type also reduces un-
dercut on the back side of the joint and generally improves
X-ray quality. Some welders feel they can carry a slightly
higher current and larger weld pool on the stringer pass.
E6011 Classification The operating characteristics, me-
chanical properties, and welding applications of the E6011
resemble those of the E6010, but the E6011 is used with
alternating current. Although it may also be used with di-
rect current electrode positive, it loses many of its benefi-
cial characteristics with this current and polarity.
E7010 ClassificationE7010 electrodes are used for
higher strength pipe than E6010 electrodes. Welds made
with these electrodes will equal or exceed the minimum
yield strength of high strength pipe. They do not neces-
sarily exceed the ultimate tensile strength of these mate-
rials since the pipe will frequently sustain 100,000 p.s.i.
The deposits of these electrodes have a tensile strength of
70,000 to 78,000 p.s.i.
Here again, manufacturers make several types with
special characteristics. One type is specifically designed
for vertical-down pipe welding and is used on all passes.
It produces less slag interference so that it minimizes the
problem of pinholes caused by slag running under the arc
in downhill welding.
E7018, E9018G, and E11018G ClassificationsEXX18
electrodes are low hydrogen electrodes used to weld high
tensile and low alloy pipe. In addition to the low hydro-
gen characteristics, they may also contain small amounts
of chromium and molybdenum. They may be used in all
positions.