Strengthen Weld Joint

TB 9-2510-242-40

crack. For cracked welds, remove all weld material for 1 inch beyond the crack. Similarly, remove all paint down to the

bare metal for a distance of 4 inches from where new welding is to be done, including the back and inside of all metal

surfaces to be welded.

d. Weld Joint/crack. Reweld the damaged joint using the skip weld procedure where appropriate(paragraph 5-1d).

For small cracks fill in the bevel groove along the length of the crack with weld in accordance with TM 9-237 procedures.

e. Strengthen Weld Joint. Weld joints damaged through normal service wear and tear activities shall be

strengthened after the weld repair is completed. Also strengthen cracked, broken, or replacement segment weld joints.

(1) Preparation of Weld Joint. Grind the weld flush with parent metal's surface so that a reinforcing plate will

fit flush on top of the welded members.

(2) Design of Reinforcing Plate. Use a reinforcing plate of the same material as the frame (see appendix A

and appendix B). The plate thickness shall be the same to 1-1/4 times that of the member's thickness. When members

are of different materials and/or thickness, the reinforcing plate shall be made of the same material as the member

having the least thickness or yield strength. Where necessary, bend the reinforcing plate so that it lies flush on the

surfaces of each joined member. Typical flange reinforcement plate designs are shown in figures C-1 and C-2. Typical

web reinforcement plates are shown in figures C-3, C-4, and C-5. (See appendix C.)

(3) Fabricate reinforcement. Fabricate reinforcement plate(s) according to the repair design selected.

(4) Install Reinforcement. Clamp the reinforcement plate in position and weld using the skip-weld procedure

f. Treat/Paint Repair Joint. New members or segments, weld joints, and reinforcement plate areas shall be

sanded, re-primed per MIL-P-53030 or MIL-P-53084, 1.0 to 1.5 mils dry film thickness, and topcoated camouflage

basecoat, green 383, color 34094, or tan 686, color 33446, per MIL-C-46168 or MIL-C-53039, 1.8 mils minimum dry film

thickness. Camouflage pattern coat as required, brown 383, color 30051 and/or black, color 37030, per MIL-C-46168 or

MIL-C-53039, 1.0 mils dry film thickness.

g. Cracked/Broken Weld Joint. The type of repair for a cracked or broken weld depends on the cause of the

damage. Damage resulting from normal service (fatigue through normal wear and tear) indicates an inadequate weld

joint design. In such cases the repair needs to have a reinforcement added for greater strength. The repair for accident-

related damage only needs to have the weld joint restored to its original weld strength. Cracked or broken original

reinforcing plates must be removed and replaced with new plates of the same design and material rather than weld

repairing the crack.