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The Weld Design module covers the calculation and verification of welds used to connect pressure vessel supports to the vessel shell and to the supporting foundation or structure. Validated weld calculations are a mandatory step in any pressure vessel support design that involves attached hardware such as lugs, skirt base rings, leg attachment plates, or saddle wear plates. PSI provides two dedicated pages for weld work, both accessible from the Elementos estructurales section of the sidebar:
  • Weld Design/soldadura-diseno
  • Weld Analysis/soldadura-analisis
Both weld pages currently display a Próximamente (Coming Soon) screen with a countdown timer. They are part of the upcoming structural elements expansion. Enter your email on either page to receive a notification when they launch.

Why Weld Calculations Matter

In pressure vessel support engineering, the weld connecting a support to the vessel shell is often the most critically loaded joint in the assembly. The attachment must transfer all dead load, operating weight, wind shear, and seismic base shear through a relatively small area of deposited weld metal. Errors in weld sizing can result in attachment failure without warning. PSI integrates weld design directly into the support design workflow so that the forces computed for the support geometry automatically flow into the weld sizing calculations, eliminating the need to manually transfer loads between separate tools.

Weld Design Page (/soldadura-diseno)

When complete, the Weld Design page will allow engineers to:
  • Select the weld joint type (fillet, groove, partial penetration) appropriate for the attachment geometry
  • Input the weld throat size and length
  • Define the electrode classification and allowable stress per the selected design code (ASME or COVENIN)
  • Verify that the applied load on the weld does not exceed the allowable capacity
  • Review the unity check ratio and identify the governing load combination

Weld Analysis Page (/soldadura-analisis)

The Weld Analysis page will present the results of weld calculations in a dashboard format consistent with the Support Analysis page, including:
  • Metric cards showing weld load, capacity, and utilization ratio
  • Charts visualizing load distribution across weld segments
  • A results table listing each weld joint with pass/fail status

Integration with the Support Design Workflow

Weld design sits at the end of the support design chain:
  1. Vessel definition — geometry and operating conditions set the total loads (Pressure Vessels)
  2. Support design — support type and dimensions distribute loads to attachment points (Support Design)
  3. Weld design — attachment point forces are used to size and verify the welds (this page)
Complete the support design on /soporte-diseno before working in the weld modules. The support calculations determine the forces that must be transferred through each weld, and those values will pre-populate the weld design inputs once the integration is live.

Supported Attachment Types

The weld design module is planned to cover the following attachment configurations:
AttachmentTypical Support TypeWeld Location
Saddle wear plateHorizontal saddleLongitudinal and circumferential fillet welds on shell
Skirt base ringVertical skirtContinuous fillet weld at skirt-to-head junction
Leg attachment plateLeg supportsFillet welds connecting leg base plate to shell nozzle pad
Lug plateLug supportsFillet welds on lug-to-shell interface
Ring stiffenerRing supportContinuous fillet weld connecting ring to shell

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