Weld Cracking
An Excerpt from the Fabricators' and Erectors' Guide to Welded Steel Construction

Several types of discontinuities may occur in welds or heat affected zones. Welds may contain porosity, slag inclusions or cracks. Of the three, cracks are by far the most detrimental. Whereas there are acceptable limits for slag inclusions and porosity in welds, cracks are never acceptable. Cracks in a weld, or in the vicinity of a weld, indicate that one or more problems exist that must be addressed. A careful analysis of crack characteristics will make it possible to determine the cause and take appropriate corrective measures.

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