An improved Welding Institute of Canada test for evaluation of high-strength pipeline steel weldability

Abstract

THE WELDING lnstitute of Canada Test (WlC) is a widely accepted weldability test used I by the pipeline industry to rank the susceptibility of a single pass weld to Hydrogen Assisted Cold Cracking (HACC) for a range of welding parameters, preheats, consumables chemistries and parent plate chemistries. Root pass welds are deposited at heat inputs in the vicinity of O.SkJ/mm for a pipeline spread in full production and so the WIC test must adequately replicate these conditions in order to confidently define safe welding conditions. Sound welds, accurate monitoring of welding conditions and quantification of crack susceptibility is therefore vital in the accurate assessment of pipe steel performance. This paper presents improvements to the WIC test geometry that allows for mechanised deposition of shielded metal arc weld (SMAW) deposition using E60l0 electrodes at high travel speeds that accurately determines the onset of HACC.