The objective of this paper is to evaluate the fracture resistance characteristics of SA508 Cl.1a to SA508 Cl.3 welds manufactured for the reactor coolant loop piping system of nuclear power plants. The effect of the crack plane orientation to the welding process orientation and the preheat temperature on the fracture resistance characteristics were discussed. Results of the fracture resistance test showed that the effect of the crack plane orientation to the welding process orientation of the fracture toughness is significant, while that of preheat temperature on the fracture toughness is negligible. The micro Vickers hardness test, the metallographic observation and the fractography analysis were conducted to analyse the crack jump phenomenon on the L-R crack plane orientation in the multi-pass welding zone. As these results, it is shown that the crack jump phenomenon was produced because of the inhomogeneity between welding beads and the crack plane orientation must be considered for the safety of the welding zone in the piping system.