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IS 813:1986 is the Indian Standard (BIS) for scheme of symbols for arc welding. IS 813 provides a standard scheme of symbols for representing arc welding on engineering drawings. It enables designers and draftspersons to communicate weld types, sizes, positions, and preparation details clearly to fabricators and site engineers.
Lays down the method for symbolic representation of welded joints on engineering drawings.
Welding and allied processes — Symbolic representation on drawings — Welded joints
Defines the rules for the symbolic representation of welded joints on technical drawings; IS 813 is largely based on an older version of this standard.
AWS A2.4:2020AWS (US)
HighCurrent
Standard Symbols for Welding, Brazing, and Nondestructive Examination
Provides a system for representing welds, brazes, and NDE information, conceptually very similar but with key notational differences.
EN ISO 2553:2019CEN (Europe)
HighCurrent
Welding and allied processes - Symbolic representation on drawings - Welded joints
The European adoption of the ISO 2553 standard, making it the harmonized standard for welding symbols across Europe.
JIS Z 3021:2016JSA (Japan)
HighCurrent
Welding and allied processes -- Symbolic representation on drawings
Japanese national standard for welding symbols, largely harmonized with ISO 2553 but with some specific national practices.
Key Differences
≠IS 813:1986 uses a solid reference line where symbols below indicate 'arrow side' and symbols above indicate 'other side'. Modern ISO 2553 introduces an alternative 'System B' which uses a dashed line to indicate the 'other side', a system not present in IS 813.
≠For indicating staggered intermittent fillet welds, IS 813 shows the fillet weld symbols offset on opposite sides of the reference line. Modern ISO 2553 adds a 'Z' symbol through the reference line for clarity, which is not a feature of IS 813.
≠While IS 813 provides for indicating the welding process in the tail of the symbol (referencing IS 9691), modern standards are linked to updated process code lists. ISO 2553 uses numerical codes from ISO 4063, and AWS A2.4 uses its own letter designations.
≠Modern standards like AWS A2.4 and ISO 2553 have a more extensive set of supplementary symbols for details like backing material, contouring methods (e.g., grinding, chipping), and specific joint configurations not explicitly covered in the 1986 Indian standard.
Key Similarities
≈The fundamental structure of the welding symbol, consisting of an arrow, a reference line, and a tail for specifications, is identical across IS 813, ISO 2553, and AWS A2.4.
≈The basic elementary symbols for weld types are highly conserved. A right-angled triangle for a fillet weld, 'V' for a single-V groove, and a circle for a spot weld are visually identical in all standards.
≈The convention for dimensioning fillet welds is consistent: the leg size (or throat thickness) is placed to the left of the symbol, and the weld length is placed to the right.
≈Core supplementary symbols like the 'weld all-around' (a circle at the arrow/reference line junction) and the 'field weld' (a flag at the same junction) have the same form and meaning in IS 813 and its international counterparts.
Parameter Comparison
Parameter
IS Value
International
Source
Weld All-Around Symbol
A circle placed at the junction of the arrow and reference line.
A circle placed at the junction of the arrow and reference line.
ISO 2553:2019
Field Weld Symbol
A filled flag placed at the junction of the arrow and reference line.
A flag placed at the junction of the arrow and reference line (can be filled or outline).
AWS A2.4:2020
'Other Side' Weld Indication
Symbol placed on the top side of a solid reference line.
Symbol placed on the top side of a dashed reference line (in System B).
ISO 2553:2019
Staggered Intermittent Fillet Weld
Fillet weld symbols are offset on opposite sides of the reference line.
A 'Z' symbol is placed across the reference line, and weld symbols are offset.
ISO 2553:2019
Flush Contour Finish Symbol
A straight line placed over the elementary weld symbol.
A straight line placed over the elementary weld symbol.
AWS A2.4:2020
Concave Contour Finish Symbol
A curved line (arc inwards) placed over the elementary weld symbol.
A curved line (arc inwards) placed over the elementary weld symbol.
ISO 2553:2019
Reference for Welding Process
Specified in tail, codes from IS 9691.
Specified in tail, numerical codes from ISO 4063.
ISO 2553:2019
⚠ Verify details from original standards before use
Key Values5
Quick Reference Values
Prefix 'a' for fillet weldThroat thickness
Prefix 'z' for fillet weldLeg length
Suffix 'l'Length of weld
Suffix 'e'Distance (pitch) between adjacent weld elements
Weld all around symbol locationJunction of arrow and reference line