Professional Documents
Culture Documents
01 September 2014
PROCEDURE
CONSTRUCTION
Welding
Procedures
Overview
This standard provides the procedures for using thermite welding to
attach wire to pipe.
Audience
This standard is intended for installation and operations personnel,
corrosion technicians and designers.
References
DES 08-05 Protective Coatings for Buried Steel Piping Systems
CON 13-02 Wrapping Wire-to-Pipe Connections
Review of Thermite Welding on Pipelines, Dr. G.T. Beynon, March
15, 2002
Drawing 99000-E-030-101 Typical Thermite Weld Connection
Equipment
5 mm 57 mm copper sleeves
bonding wire or test leads
thermite weld mold (sized for the pipe being welded to)
#15 (15 gram) cartridges and steel disc
flint gun
crimping pliers
scraper
lino knife
wire brush
file
pipe recoating material
Safety Concerns
Thermite weld process produces very high temperatures and molten
metal. Wear gloves, safety goggles, and a long sleeve shirt or
coveralls when igniting the charge.
Do not inhale the fumes from thermite welding.
Do not thermite weld in combustible atmospheres and ensure the
ground below the thermite weld is free of all hydrocarbons.
It is important that thermite welding not be performed on a wet
surface as this can cause the water to vaporize and flash molten
metal back out of the crucible.
Only employees having taken the available training course may
thermite weld.
Procedure
1. Prepare the pipe.
The weld area must be at least 150 mm from other thermite
welds and circumferential or longitudinal pipe welds.
Remove wrapping or other coating from the pipe in accordance
with DES 08-05 Protective Coatings for Buried Steel Piping
Systems.
Clean the pipes surface thoroughly with a wire brush and a file
attaining a bright, clean, dry surface free of mill scale and grease.
Refer to Drawing 99000-E-030-101 Typical Thermite Weld
Connection.
2. Inspect the pipe.
Visually inspect the weld area to confirm the absence of surface
defects.
2.8 mm (0.109")
3.2 mm (0.125")
3.6 mm (0.141")
design pressure
NOTE: The maximum safe line pressures during thermite welding are
lower than the pressure rating of the gas lines and the manufacturer
ratings for thermite product because of FortisBC (Natural Gas) (FBC
(Gas)) concerns regarding the quality of older piping in the ground.
If unable to reduce the pressure to less than the maximum
allowable pressure in Table 1, test leads can be attached to the
pipe with a stainless steel clamp. However an alternative means
of attaching current carrying leads such as rectifier negative leads
will have to be determined because below ground mechanical
connections will not be permitted.
4. Prepare and position the wire on the pipe.
Remove 65 mm of insulation from the wire.
Make sure the bare wire is bright, clean, and dry.
For #10, 12, or 14 AWG wire:
slide a copper sleeve over the bare wire and crimp it into
place.
For #6 or #8 AWG wire:
a copper sleeve is not required
Figure 2: Picture showing the wire positioned on the pipe with crucible
on top. Note the absence of voids between the crucible and the pipe.
Make sure the copper sleeve or wire extends fully into the
thermite weld mold cavity.
There should be no wire insulation in contact with the
thermite weld mold.
Make sure the thermite weld mold sits flat, flush with the pipe so
that there are no voids between the crucible and the pipe caused
by the curvature of the pipe.
Insert the metal disc in the bottom of the crucible with the
concave side up.
Figure 3
Make sure all persons are away from or protected from the flash.
Be prepared for the flash that will result so as to avoid sudden
movements (i.e., flinching). Prior to ignition turn your face away
to avoid any flash danger.
Ignite the charge with the spark igniter.
Do not use matches.
If the charge fails to ignite, dump the entire thermite weld charge
and try again. Under no circumstances add another charge to
the first one!
Hold the thermite weld mold in position for 30 seconds before
lifting it from the pipe. Clean the mold.
Tap the slag away from the weld and file down any irregularities.
8. Ensure that the weld has achieved a good bond between the wire and
the pipe.
Examine the copper wire for any burn throughs.
Test the strength of the bond by gently tugging on the wire lead
noting any give or failure in the wire.
Tap the thermite weld button gently with a slag hammer.
Again noting any give or failure of the weld to the surface of the
pipe.
If there are burn throughs in the wire, or if there is evidence of
give or connection failure when the wire is gently tugged, or if
there is evidence of the weld giving or failing when the weld
button is tapped with the slag hammer, abandon the weld site and
go back to Step 1 of this procedure, selecting another site at least
150 mm removed from the abandoned site.
9. Properly coat the thermite weld connection.
Refer to CON 13-02 Wrapping Wire-to-Pipe Connections.
10. Properly recoat the pipe.
Refer to DES 08-05 Protective Coatings for Buried Steel Piping
Systems.