Principles and practices of stud welding

The embedment properties of stud welded anchors have been the subject of many testing programs worldwide. Currently, design provisions for cast-in-place anchorages are included in the 2000 edition of the International Building Code (IBC 2000), and these will be introduced along with design provisions for post-placed anchors into the 2002 edition of the ACI Building Code (ACI 318-02). In all of the testing programs, performance and failure modes of the as-welded studs with respect to groups, edge conditions, tension, shear, and combined loadings have been the central theme of the reports. Stud welding principles and practices necessary for obtaining consistent stud weld quality and anchorage performance have received little attention. The purpose of this article is to present the fundamental principles of stud welding and implementing practices so that the user may be confident in the ensuing welding results and performance of the finished product.