Intermittent Weld Symbols
An intermittent weld is made in separate segments rather than continuously along the joint. The callout gives segment length and pitch, while symbol arrangement distinguishes chain and staggered patterns for welds on both sides.
- Read segment length and center-to-center pitch
- Calculate the clear unwelded gap for a simple pattern
- Distinguish chain from staggered placement
A correct icon is not yet a correct decision.
Intermittent welds balance strength, heat input, distortion, weight, and cost. Misreading pitch as gap changes both weld quantity and performance.
What each mark tells you—and what it does not.
Use the third column as a stop-check. It prevents a familiar mark from turning into an unsupported assumption.
| Visual cue | What it tells you | What you must still verify |
|---|---|---|
| 2-6 to the right | 2 segment length at 6 center-to-center pitch | Units come from the drawing; 6 is not the clear gap. |
| Symbols aligned across the line | Chain intermittent arrangement | Check both-side dimensions rather than assuming they match. |
| Symbols offset across the line | Staggered intermittent arrangement | The graphic arrangement communicates offset; do not align the segments. |
Two fillet callouts both say 2-6
One print aligns the segments across the joint; another offsets them.
Read 2-long segments at 6 pitch. Use symbol arrangement to distinguish chain from staggered; the simple clear gap is 6 minus 2, or 4 units.
The crew reproduces the intended pattern rather than spacing each segment six clear units apart.
How to read it without guessing
Read the length–pitch pair, then inspect how symbols on both sides of the reference line align. Opposed symbols indicate chain intermittent welds; offset symbols indicate staggered intermittent welds.
- Confirm the weld type and side or sides.
- Read segment length first and pitch second.
- For both-side patterns, compare symbol alignment across the reference line.
- Use the drawing dimensions to locate where the pattern begins and ends.
Similar-looking instructions, different fabrication decisions
Chain
Opposing segments line up
DECIDING CHECKWould a section through one segment cross welds on both sides?Staggered
Opposing segments alternate
DECIDING CHECKAre the elementary symbols visibly offset?Continuous
No repeating segment/pitch pattern is specified
DECIDING CHECKDo not convert an intermittent callout into a full-length weld.Three mistakes that change the instruction
Wrong spacing
For 2-long segments at 6 pitch, a simple aligned pattern has a 4-unit clear gap—not a 6-unit gap.
Missing pattern arrangement
Chain and staggered patterns can share identical length and pitch. Symbol alignment carries the difference.
Inventing a start point
The callout defines the pattern, but drawing dimensions or notes may be needed to locate its extent.
Intermittent Welds practice
Skill: pitch reasoning
For 2-long segments at 6 pitch in a simple aligned pattern, what is the clear gap?
Five checks for this symbol
This is a drawing-reading checklist, not an acceptance standard. Use it before fabrication, fit-up, inspection, or answering a test question.
- 01Read segment length
- 02Read center-to-center pitch
- 03Identify chain or staggered
- 04Check start/end location
- 05Confirm whether quantity or extent is separately controlled
Standards and editorial basis
This guide teaches common AWS-style drawing interpretation. It is educational material, not a substitute for the purchased standard, project specification, code, WPS, or qualified engineering direction.
Editorial method. Original training diagrams, worked decisions, misconception checks, and questions are written for learning—not copied from a standards table. Production interpretation must still follow the governing documents.
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