Hyperbaric welding

The applications of hyperbaric welding are diverse—it is often used to repair ships, offshore oil platforms, and pipelines.

[4] Welding processes have become increasingly important in almost all manufacturing industries and for structural applications (metal skeletons of buildings).

[5] Of the many techniques for welding in atmosphere, most cannot be applied in offshore and marine applications in contact with water.

Most offshore repair and surfacing work is done at shallow depth or in the region intermittently covered by water (the splash zone).

Underwater welding can be the least expensive option for marine maintenance and repair, because it bypasses the need to pull the structure out of the sea and saves valuable time and dry docking costs.

[7] Wet underwater welding directly exposes the diver and electrode to the water and surrounding elements.

The process is generally limited to low carbon equivalent steels, especially at greater depths, because of hydrogen-caused cracking.

The gas bubble is partly formed from decomposition of the flux coating on the electrode but it is usually contaminated to some extent by steam.

Current flow induces transfer of metal droplets from the electrode to the workpiece and enables positional welding by a skilled operator.