Why Arc Stud Welds Look Solid but Fail Shear and Bend Tests Months Later (What One Fabrication Shop’s Trial Actually Measured)
I’ve spent twelve years on fabrication floors watching studs that look perfect on the day of installation come back later with the weld collar cracked or the stud sheared clean at the base. The usual explanation from the crew is “the machine is fine, the settings were right.” Most of the time the settings were close enough, but one or two small things on the plate or in the ground path were enough to leave incomplete fusion that only shows up under real load.