The number of pounds of welding electrode or welding wire necessary to complete a given joint may be calculated by the formulas:

where:
P = Pounds of electrode or wire required
W=Weight per foot of weld metal
L = Length of weld (feet)
E= Deposition efficiency

WEIGHT PER FOOT OF WELD METAL
Calculating the weight of weld metal requires that we consider the following items:

1. Area of the cross-section of the weld.
2. Length of the weld.
3. Volume of the weld in cubic inches.
4. Weight of the weld metal per cubic inch.

In the fillet weld shown below, the area of the cross-section (the triangle) is equal to the half the base times the height, the volume of the weld is equal to the area times the length, and the weight of the weld then, is the volume times the weight of the material (steel) per cubic inch.

Welding Data