That time a weld cracked on a 36-inch steam line at the old paper mill in Kalamazoo

Jamie Garcia · 2026-03-16T22:55:05.267734+00:00

We were doing a full shutdown for new valve installs when I spotted a hairline crack on a main header weld from the 70s, so I called a stop and we had to cut out a six-foot section overnight. My foreman wanted to just grind and re-weld the spot, but I argued we needed to replace the whole piece due to metal fatigue (which the X-ray later proved right). How do you guys handle it when you see a potential problem that isn't in the work scope but could cause a bigger failure down the line?

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That time a weld cracked on a 36-inch steam line at the old paper mill in Kalamazoo | Boilermakers - Guest Forum