A new plant was constructed; it contained over 10,000 socket welds. Socket welding (Figs. 1 and 2) is one of a number of methods used for making piping connections; they are plain-fillet welds arranged for greater ease of alignment and welding. Used for nominal pipe sizes (NPSs) 4-in. and smaller, they are favored for new projects that make use of prefabricated piping. However, there are some downside issues with socket welds. Having only about 1/3 the strength of a full butt weld in bending and even less in fatigue, they are not considered high-strength welds. Moreover, socket welds are subject to vibration cracking in the root and toe regions and are susceptible to crevice corrosion, if used in the wrong services.
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