Combined Groove-and-Fillet Symbol on a Skid Frame
A fabricator receives a drawing for a skid frame. At a T-joint, the welding symbol shows: a single-V groove weld on the arrow side with a 60° groove angle, root opening 3 mm, and a 2 mm root face; a 6 mm fillet weld on the other side; the tail contains 'E7018'; the symbol has an all-around circle; and a flag at the junction. The drawing note says 'field weld unless otherwise noted.' The fitter plans to cut a single-V groove on the vertical member, fit with a 3 mm root gap, weld the groove from the arrow side, then weld the 6 mm fillet on the back side, and do this in the shop before shipping. The joint is a 12 mm plate to 12 mm plate. The shop has E7018 but no field crew available until after shipment.
1. Does the fitter's planned sequence match the welding symbol? Explain the arrow-side and other-side requirements.
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The groove and fillet sides match the symbol only if the arrow points to the member the fitter plans to groove. A single-V groove on the arrow side and a 6 mm fillet on the other side means the groove is on the side the arrow touches and the fillet is on the opposite side. The fitter plans to cut the V on the vertical member and weld the fillet on the back side; that is correct only if the arrow points to the vertical member. The 60° groove angle, 3 mm root opening, and 2 mm root face must be maintained. If the arrow points to the horizontal member, the fitter has the preparation on the wrong side and the joint geometry will not match the drawing.
2. What do the all-around circle and the field-weld flag require?
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The all-around circle means the groove and fillet welds continue around the entire joint perimeter, not just the accessible flat side. The flag at the junction means the weld is a field weld: it is to be made at the installation site, not in the shop. The fitter's plan to complete the joint in the shop before shipping directly conflicts with the flag. A shop weld would either be rejected or require an approved deviation. The all-around requirement also means the welder must be able to maintain the groove geometry and fillet size through corners and returns, which may require back-gouging or a sequence change.
3. What should you tell the fitter and the shop supervisor before work starts?
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Tell them not to complete the joint in the shop. The fitter may prepare the groove, fit the parts, and apply tack welds if the project allows, but the final groove and fillet welds are field welds. Mark the field-weld joint clearly and protect the groove and root opening during shipping. Confirm which member is the arrow side before cutting the V. The field crew must have the correct WPS, electrodes, preheat equipment, and inspection access. If the shop cannot ship an open joint safely, request an engineering deviation; do not quietly shop-weld and rely on the weld 'looking the same.'