Seminar on

Underwater Welding

Under the Supervision of Presented by

Subrata Dey Abdul Almamun Mondal
Guest Lecturer Roll No.-10200717019
Mechanical Engineering Department
2018Year
Purpose:
The purpose of this Seminar is for
general knowledge only on how
“underwater welding” is carried out.
Safety is also emphasized here as
we are dealing with two types of
activities, Diving and Welding.
One must remember that underwater
welding is a different world, and so
special precautions are adhered to
for maximum safety of the
welder/diver.
List of Content:
1- Introduction
2- Uses
3- The Welder/Diver
4- Classification
5- Principle of Operation
6- Codes, Standards & Specifications
7- Characteristics of a Good Underwater Welding
8- Application of Underwater Welding
9- Some characteristics of underwater welding
10- Risk Involved
11- Safety
12- Developments
13- References:
14-Appendix
1- Introduction:
Underwater welding began during World War 1 when
the British Navy used it to make temporary repairs on
ships. These repairs consisted of welding around
leaking rivets of ship hulls. Underwater welding was
also restricted to salvage operations and emergency
repair works only. In addition, it was limited to depths
below the surface of not over 30 ft (10meters).
At first, underwater welding was just applied to weld
a patch until a more thorough repair could be
performed. But as soon as more experience was
gained, ambitious individuals and companies joined
forces to improve results and to establish achievable
specifications.
2-Uses:
While underwater welding have been used
for new construction & installation of
offshore structures, subsea pipelines, &
harbor facilities, it is most often used for
maintenance and repair applications. These
includes repair of damage caused by
corrosion, fatigue, and accidents of offshore
structures such us oil platforms, repair &
replacement of damaged subsea pipeline
sections, repairing holes in ship’s hulls or
collision damage to harbor facilities.
Uses (cont’d)
Photos below shown, it is obvious that these structures has to be
repaired. And one of the tools of repair is underwater welding.

Damaged Offshore Structure Sinking Offshore Structure

3- The Welder/Diver:
Welder/diver – is a certified welder who
is also a commercial diver, capable of
performing tasks associated with
commercial subsea work, weld setup
and preparation, and who has the
ability to weld in accordance with the
AWS D3.6, Specification for
Underwater Welding (wet or dry), and
other related activities. Welding
Welder/diver qualifications required for
a given assignment vary from project
to project. Most diving contractors
would like their welder/diver to be “a
jack of all trades”. This means that the
welder/diver must know how to do
underwater cutting, fitting and rigging,
inspection and nondestructive testing,
and underwater photography. Cutting
4- Classification :-
There are five basic methods of underwater welding currently in use:
(1) Welding in a pressure vessel in which the pressure is reduced to
approximately one atmosphere, independent of depth (dry welding
at one atmosphere).
(2) Welding at ambient pressure in a large chamber from which water
has been displaced in an atmosphere such that the welder/diver
does not work in diving equipment (dry welding in a habitat).
(3) Welding at ambient pressure in a simple open-bottomed dry
chamber that accommodates, as a minimum, the head and
shoulders of the welder/diver in full diving equipment (dry
chamber welding).
(4) Welding at ambient pressure in a small, transparent, gas-filled
enclosure with the welder/diver outside in the water(dry spot
welding).
(5) Welding at ambient pressure with the welder/diver in the water
without any mechanical barrier between the water and the welding
arc (wet welding).
So underwater welding is classified into
two categories.
1. Welding in-the-wet environment = This
was used primarily for emergency
repairs and salvage operations in
shallow waters due to poor quality
welds.
2. Welding in-the-dry environment = This
technique produces high-quality welds
that meet X-ray and code
requirements.
Welding in-the-wet environment

Underwater wet welding is done

in an environment where the base
metal and the arc are surrounded
entirely by water. The electrode
types used conform to AWS
E6013 classification. These
electrodes are waterproofed by
wrapping them with waterproof
tape or by dipping it into special
sodium silicate mixes and
allowing them to dry. The power The power of the arc generates a
source is a direct current machine bubble of a mixture of gasses
rated at 300 or 400 amperes. which lets metal melting and
joining occur more or less normal
as shown on the above photo.
Welding in-the wet (cont’d):

Below is a typical underwater welding equipment set

up.

Waterproof Electrode
Holder

Power Supply
_
+
electrode

work

Knife switch
Advantages of Wet Welding
Wet underwater MMA (Manual Metal Arc) welding has now been
widely used for many years in the repair of offshore
platforms. The benefits of wet welding are: -
1) The versatility and low cost of wet welding makes this method
highly desirable.
2) Other benefits include the speed. With which the operation is
carried out.
3) It is less costly compared to dry welding.
4) The welder can reach portions of offshore structures that
could not be welded using other methods.
5) No enclosures are needed and no time is lost building.
Readily available standard welding machine and equipments
are used. The equipment needed for mobilization of a wet
welded job is minimal.
Disadvantages of Wet Welding
Although wet welding is widely used for underwater fabrication
works, it suffers from the following drawbacks: -
1) There is rapid quenching of the weld metal by the surrounding
water. Although quenching increases the tensile strength of
the weld, it decreases the ductility and impact strength of the
weldment and increases porosity and hardness.
2) Hydrogen Embrittlement – Large amount of hydrogen is
present in the weld region, resulting from the
dissociation of the water vapour in the arc region. The H2
dissolves in the Heat Affected Zone (HAZ) and the weld
metal, which causes Embrittlement, cracks and
microscopic fissures. Cracks can grow and may result in
catastrophic failure of the structure.
3) Another disadvantage is poor visibility. The welder some times
is not able to weld properly.
Welding in-the-dry environment
Welding in-the-dry environment can be divided into
main two categories:
Hyperbaric welding, in which a chamber is sealed
around the structure to be welded and is filled
with breathable gas at the prevailing pressure.
Cofferdam welding, which is carried out in the dry,
in air, where a rigid steel structure to house the
welders is sealed against the side of the
structure to be welded, and is open to the
atmosphere.
Welding in-the-dry
Environment:
Hyperbaric welding is done
with the use of a welding
chamber or habitat. This
method provides high quality
weld joints that meet
Welding Chamber
radiography and code
requirements. The chamber is
sealed into a structure or
pipeline and filled with
breathable mixture of helium
and oxygen (90-95% helium
and 5-10% oxygen).

Welding Chamber Internal

Welding in-the-dry (cont’d)
Cofferdam welding is also a type of
dry welding where a rigid steel
structure to house the welders is
sealed against the side of the
structure to be welded and is open
to the atmosphere. It is normally
used for harbor works or ship
repair.
Welding in-the-dry (cont’d)
Photographs below are examples of Cofferdam
Welding.

Dummy structure Actual structure

Advantages of Dry Welding
1) Welder/Diver Safety – Welding is performed in a chamber,
immune to ocean currents and marine animals. The
warm, dry habitat is well illuminated and has its own
environmental control system (ECS).
2) Good Quality Welds – This method has ability to produce
welds of quality comparable to open air welds because
water is no longer present to quench the weld and H2
level is much lower than wet welds.
3) Surface Monitoring – Joint preparation, pipe alignment,
NDT inspection, etc. are monitored visually.
4) Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) – NDT is also facilitated by
the dry habitat environment.
Disadvantages of Dry Welding

1) The habitat welding requires large quantities of

complex equipment and much support equipment
on the surface. The chamber is extremely complex.
2) Cost of habitat welding is extremely high and
increases with depth. Work depth has an effect on
habitat welding. At greater depths, the arc
constricts and corresponding higher voltages are
required. The process is costly – a $ 80000 charge
for a single weld job. One cannot use the same
chamber for another job, if it is a different one.
5- Principle of Operation:
The sketch at right shows the
general arrangement for
underwater welding. Underwater
welding should always be a direct
current machine grounded to the
ship. The welding circuit includes
a knife switch that is operated on
the surface by an assistant upon
the signal of the welder/diver. The
knife switch cuts off the welding
current and is design this way for
safety reasons. The electrode
holder utilizes a twist type head
for gripping the electrode. The
work lead is attach within 3 ft.
from the point of welding and is
perfectly insulated to avoid leaks.
The welding circuit should be
direct current electrode negative.
7-Characteristics of a Good Underwater Welding
The characteristics of a good underwater welding
process are:

(a) Requirement of inexpensive welding equipment,

low welding cost, easy to operate and flexibility
of operation in all positions.
(b) Minimum electrical hazards, a minimum of 20
cm/min welding speed at least.
(d) Permit good visibility.
(e) Produce good quality and reliable welds.
(v) Operator should be capable in supporting
himself.
(vi) Easily automated.
8- Application of Underwater Welding

The important applications of underwater welding are:

(a) Offshore construction for tapping sea
resources,
(b) Temporary repair work caused by ship’s collisions or
unexpected accidents.
(c) Salvaging vessels sunk in the sea
(d) Repair and maintenance of ships
(e) Construction of large ships beyond the capacity of
existing docks.
9- Some characteristics of underwater welding

1. Rapid Cooling Rate

The weld microstructure is affected by the rapid cooling rates incurred
in underwater welding. The use of a continuous cooling transformation
(CCT) diagram can explain this microstructure. Figure (1) is a CCT of
simulated single pass welds on A516 Gr 70 steel which was generated
using a Gleeble machine. The microstructures and corresponding
temperatures at which each will start and finish can be identified on the
diagram. Because the weld samples of interest were multipass welds,
an important variable known as bead tempering is introduced. The
subsequent weld passes and its affect on the previous weld pass
microstructure. Figure (2) shows how multiple weld passes can affect
the HAZ of the weld pass made previous to it. Multiple weld passes
provide bead tempering to the previous weld pass which refines the
coarse grains in the HAZ which is where hydrogen under bead cracking
commonly exists.
 9- Some characteristics of underwater welding (cont’d)
2. Hydrogen Cracking
The susceptibility to hydrogen cracking in underwater weldments made on high
strength steels is a major concern. The four conditions which must be present
for hydrogen cracking to occur:
1) Susceptible microstructure
2) Critical concentration of diffusible hydrogen
3) Stress intensity
4) Relatively low temperature less than 200°C
As can be expected, all four conditions exist in underwater Shielded Metal Arc
Welding SMAW. Obviously the martensitic microstructure ofthe HAZ near the
fusion line is susceptible because it is hard and brittle. The dissociation of
hydrogen near the weld arc unavoidably supplies hydrogen to the weld metal.
Because of the high restraints placed on the weld piece and the superimposing
of large thermal gradients, high stresses are likely in the weld. Finally, the
temperature ofany underwater body that is available for work to be
accomplished in is definitely below 200°C. The comments made in all the
subsections of section C clearly indicate that hydrogen assisted underbead
cracking of underwater wet weldments on ferritic steel is highly likely unless the
steel's carbon equivalent and carbon contents are maintained at suitably low
levels.
11- Risk Involved:
Below are some risks involve in underwater welding:
 Electric shock – there is a possibility of electric shock
when the equipment is not properly insulated, or when
the power supply is not shut off immediately when the
welder terminates the arc during welding.
 Explosion – arc welding produces hydrogen and
oxygen. Pockets of gasses can build up and are
potentially explosive.
 Nitrogen Narcosis – a health hazard normally
experienced by divers during the diving activities
when safety stops at certain level is not adhered to.
Curiously, the risk of drowning is not listed with the
hazards of underwater welding.
 For welded structures, inspection of welds after
welding maybe more difficult than welds made above
water. There is a risk of defects that may remain
undetected and may cause failure in the long run.
12- Safety:
OSHA Standard 1915.6 – Commercial Diving
OSHA Standard 1910.424 – SCUBA Diving
Volume IV, Issue 3, 3rd Quarter 2002
Occupational Health Newsletter – Commercial
Diving Medical Emergencies in Saudi Aramco
Safety: (cont’d)
Annex D of AWS D3.6 - Recommended Guidelines
for Safety in Underwater Welding

Scope is limited to recommended safe practices specifically

related to underwater welding and associated work activities
performed in either a dry (hyperbaric) or a wet environment.

Annex D comprises safe practices, underwater communication,

electrical equipment, hand-held power tools, preparation for
work, performance of work, and inspections and examinations.
Safety (cont’d)
Welding:
Necessary precautions should be carried out such as:
 Follow employers safety practices.
 Fumes and gasses can be hazardous to your health.
 Arc rays can injure eyes and skin.
 Use adequate ventilation while welding.
 Wear suitable eye protection and protective clothing.
 Do not touch live electrical parts.
 Wear rubber gloves.
 Only change the electrode when cold.
13- Developments:
With the latest development in construction of
offshore oil platforms, there has been an
increased demand for underwater welding. The
use of hyperbaric chambers to produce code-
quality weld is very expensive to operate.
Sea Grant Researcher Dr. Chon Tsai, has
developed a new welding electrode for wet welding
nickname “Black Beauty” for the black appearance
of its waterproof coating. The electrode exhibits
excellent visual appearance and profile, micro-
cracking of weld has been eliminated, operating
characteristics are superior to other commercially
available electrodes, and the electrode produces
suitable results when used in any position.
Developments (cont’d)
Wet-Dry welding – Dry hyperbaric chambers or habitats
are extremely expensive. This is because it must be built
for special applications such as repairing or making tie-
ins on horizontally laid pipes. Recent improvements
allowed GMAW (Gas Metal Arc Welding) process to be
used in underwater welding with the use of special
nozzles, domes or miniature chambers. In using this type
of apparatus the welder/diver is in the water but the
nozzle of the welding gun and material to be welded is in
the dry atmosphere. These localized dry gas environment
chambers are inexpensive, small and lightweight. It is
made of transparent material or has sufficient number of
windows so that the welder can see the inside to properly
manipulate and direct the welding gun. This process can
be utilized for welding up to 125 ft. (35m) below the water
surface.
 References:
 TWI Knowledge Summary – Underwater Welding
 Underwater Magazine – Commercial Diving
 Divers Academy International
 Atlantic Welding & Fabrication Centre
 Special Applications of Welding – Underwater Welding

 Wikipedia
 Yahoo Answers
 YouTube
Appendix:

Dry Underwater welding

Wet Underwater welding