Welding Terms (AWS A3.0) Practice Questions

Explanation: The faying surface is the mating surface of a member that is in contact with or in close proximity to another member to which it is to be joined.

Explanation: Weld reinforcement is weld metal in excess of the quantity required to fill a joint. It can be face reinforcement or root reinforcement.

Explanation: The leg of a fillet weld is the distance from the joint root to the toe of the fillet weld.

Explanation: Buttering is a surfacing variation that deposits surfacing metal on one or more surfaces to provide metallurgically compatible weld metal for the subsequent completion of the weld.

Explanation: Boxing is the continuation of a fillet weld around a corner of a member as an extension of the principal weld.

Explanation: Root reinforcement is weld reinforcement at the side other than that on which welding took place.

Explanation: A discontinuity is an interruption of the typical structure (e.g., porosity). It becomes a defect only if it exceeds the acceptance criteria of the applicable code and is rejectable.

Explanation: The Effective Throat is the minimum distance from the fillet weld root to the face of a fillet weld, minus any convexity. It defines the load-bearing area.

Explanation: Cold lap is a common non-standard term for incomplete fusion (lack of fusion), where the weld metal does not fuse with the base metal.

Explanation: The weld face is the exposed surface of the weld on the side from which welding was done.

Explanation: A tack weld is a weld made to hold parts of a weldment in proper alignment until the final welds are made.

Explanation: Joint penetration is the distance the weld metal extends from the weld face into a joint, exclusive of weld reinforcement.

Explanation: A butt joint is a joint between two members aligned in approximately the same plane.

Explanation: Root opening is the separation between the members to be joined at the root of the joint.

Explanation: The theoretical throat assumes a perfect isosceles right triangle geometry, ignoring any penetration or reinforcement.

Explanation: CJP means the weld metal extends through the full thickness of the joint. Complete fusion means the weld melted and bonded to the base metal surfaces (which could happen in a PJP weld too).

Explanation: Backstep sequence involves welding small segments in the opposite direction of the general progression to reduce distortion.

Explanation: Preheat temperature is the temperature of the base metal in the volume surrounding the point of welding immediately before welding is started.

Explanation: The bevel angle is the angle of preparation on a single member. The groove angle is the total angle of the groove (sum of bevel angles).

Explanation: Because the face curves inward, the actual throat of a concave fillet weld is less than the theoretical throat.

Explanation: A scarf weld involves preparing the edges (beveling) and filling the groove, classifying it as a groove weld.

Explanation: The weld interface is the boundary between the weld metal and the heat-affected zone (HAZ).

Explanation: 'Gap' is a common non-standard term for Root Opening. 'Root Gap' is also non-standard in AWS A3.0 (preferred: Root Opening).

Explanation: In a T-joint, the joint root is the area where the members intersect (the tightest point).

Explanation: The leg of a fillet weld is the distance from the joint root to the toe of the fillet weld.

Explanation: Interpass temperature is the temperature of the weld area between weld passes. It must be maintained within a specific range (min/max).

Explanation: 'Land' is the common non-standard term for the Root Face (the portion of the groove face adjacent to the root of the joint).