Weld Metal Volume Calculator

A fillet weld's cross-section is a simple right triangle, while a V-groove weld's cross-section is a trapezoid that widens from the root opening at the bottom to a much wider gap at the top of the groove, set by the included angle. That trapezoidal shape generally covers more area for the same depth than a fillet's triangular shape, which is why full-penetration groove welds on thicker material typically consume noticeably more filler metal than a fillet weld joining the same plates.

Not every gram of electrode wire or stick electrode ends up as deposited weld metal in the joint -- some is lost to spatter thrown off during arc transfer, the stub end left in the electrode holder when a stick electrode is used up, slag that's chipped away rather than fused into the joint, and extra material consumed restarting the arc. A flat 15% addition on top of the theoretical deposited weight is a common planning allowance for that real-world loss.

In a V-groove, the root opening is simply the narrow parallel side of the trapezoid cross-section, so it adds directly to the trapezoid's area. In a U-groove, the root opening also contributes a separate straight-walled section beneath the curved (parabolic) bevel portion, since the curve only begins once the bevel starts -- both terms are added together to get the U-groove's total cross-sectional area.

No -- this calculates total cross-sectional area and volume for the joint geometry as a whole, regardless of how many individual weld passes a welder uses to fill it. Thicker grooves are typically filled with multiple passes in practice, but the total filler metal consumed is the same either way, so the volume and weight estimates here apply to the complete joint rather than any single pass.