TS 16448 - Structural Field Welding - 201407071322217372
TS 16448 - Structural Field Welding - 201407071322217372
TS 16448 - Structural Field Welding - 201407071322217372
SECTION 16448
PART 1 DESCRIPTION
A. Field-weld metal members using the shielded metal arc and flux-cored arc welding
processes.
PART 2 MATERIALS
A. Provide electrodes for shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) conforming to the
requirements of the latest edition of ANSI/AWS A5.1, “Specifications for Mild Steel
Covered Arc Welding Electrodes,” or ANSI/AWS A5.5, “Specifications for Low-
Alloy Steel Covered Arc Welding Electrodes.”
D. Table 1 shows the classes of electrodes required. Use electrodes with the type of
current, with the polarity, and in the positions permitted by AWS A5.1 and A5.5 for
SMAW. AWS A5.20 and A5.29 specifications govern for FCAW. Obtain approval
for electrode use on steel not listed in Table 1.
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Table 1
Classification of Electrodes Permitted
Type of Steel Electrode Process Filler Metal
(ASTM Specification Requirements
Standards)
Steel piling AWS A5.1 or SMAW E60XX
A5.5 E70XX or
Armor joints E70XX-X
A 500 AWS A5.20 or FCAW E6XTX-X
A 501 A5.29 E7XTX-X
(except -2, -3,
-10, -GS)
A 36 AWS A5.1 or SMAW E7016
A 572 Gr. 50 A5.5 E7018
A 588 E7028
A 242 AWS A5.20 or FCAW E7XT-1
A 709 Gr. 36. 50, A5.29 E7XT-5
or 50S E7XT-6
E7XT-8
Weathering steel AWS A5.5 SMAW E8018-W
E8016-C3
A 588 E8018-C3
A 242 E8016-C1
A 709 Gr. 50W E8018-C1
E8016-C2
E8018-C2
AWS 5.29 FCAW E8XT1-W
E8XTX-Ni1
E8XTX-Ni2
E8XTX-Ni3
A 709 AWS A5.5 SMAW E9018-M-H8R
Gr. HPS 70W
Reinforcing steel AWS A5.1 or SMAW E70XX
Grade 40 A5.5
Reinforcing steel AWS A5.5 SMAW E90XX
Grade 60
Permanent metal AWS A5.1 or SMAW E6010
deck forms A5.5 E6011
E6013
E7018
Note: Low-hydrogen electrodes applicable to the lower strength base metal may be used in
joints involving base metals of different yield points or strengths.
E. E7010 and E8010 electrodes may be used when welding the root passes of beam and
girder splices if the requirements of Section 16448, Part 4, 4.03, E, 4, a, “High-
Cellulose Electrodes for Root Passes,” are met.
G. For FCAW, use gas or gas mixtures that are welding grade and have a dew point of
−40ºF or lower. Furnish certification to the Owner’s Representative that the gas or
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gas mixture is suitable for the intended application and will meet the dew point
requirements.
PART 3 EQUIPMENT
A. Provide electrode drying and storing ovens that can maintain the required
temperatures specified in Section 16448, Part 4, 4.03, A, “Electrode Condition,”
along with thermometers for checking and controlling the oven temperatures. Provide
preheating equipment that can maintain the entire joint at or above the specified
temperature. Provide approved equipment for checking preheat and interpass
temperatures at all times while welding is in progress. Provide welding equipment
meeting the requirements of the approved welding procedure specification (WPS), if
required, and capable of making consistent high-quality welds.
PART 4 CONSTRUCTION
A. Use the proper classification and size of electrode, arc length, voltage, and amperage
for the thickness of the material, type of groove, welding positions, and other
circumstances of the work.
B. Submit WPS’s for FCAW, qualified in accordance with AASHTO/AWS D1.5, for
approval before any field welding on a project.
A. Provide to the Owner’s Representative certification papers for each welder for each
welding process to be used before welding, except for miscellaneous welds described
in Section 16448, Part 4, 4.02, A, 1, a, (1), “Miscellaneous Welding Applications.”
Certification is issued by the Owner’s Representative as described in Section 16448,
Part 4, 4.02, A, 2, “Certified Steel Structures Welder.”
1. Miscellaneous Welding
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Figure 1
Miscellaneous qualification—fillet weld break specimen.
Figure 2
Miscellaneous qualification—method of rupturing specimen.
(b). A welder who fails the Miscellaneous Weld
Qualification Test may take a retest under the following
conditions:
1) The retest occurs immediately and consists of 2
test welds as described above with both test
specimens meeting all of the requirements.
2) The retest occurs after 30 days if the welder
provides evidence of further training or practice.
In this case the test consists of a single test
weld.
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A. Electrode Condition
1. SMAW
b. If electrodes are placed back in the holding oven before the times
given in Table 2 have lapsed, leave them in for at least 4 hours at
250°F before reusing. The Owner’s Representative may reduce times
allowed for use without redrying in humid atmospheres. Do not redry
electrodes more than once. Do not use electrodes with flux that has
been wet, cracked, or otherwise damaged.
2. FCAW
a. Protect or store welding wire coils removed from the original package
to keep their characteristics or welding properties intact. Do not use
coils or portions of coils that are rusty.
3. Special Applications
B. Environmental Conditions
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1. Do not weld when the air temperature is lower than 20°F; when surfaces are
wet or exposed to rain, snow, or wind; or when operators are exposed to
inclement conditions. Provide wind breaks to protect welding operations from
winds greater than 5 MPH.
1. Verify that ends of members to be welded are prepared in accordance with the
welded joint detail specified. For girder splices, see Figures 3, 4, and 5 for
proper end preparation and weld details.
2. Bring the parts to be joined by fillet welds into as close contact as possible,
not separated more than 3/16 in. If the separation is 1/16 in. or more, increase
the leg of the fillet weld by the amount of the separation. Keep the separation
between faying surfaces of lap joints and of butt joints landing on backing
strips to no more than 1/16 in.
3. Make suitable allowance for shrinkage, and never restrain the joint on both
sides in any welding process.
4. Use the following fitup procedure for groove welds for butt joints:
a. Align splices of beams and girders joined by groove welds with the
center of gravity of both cross sections coinciding or each flange
vertically offset equally. Fit beams and girders with offset webs with
the webs aligned and the flanges offset laterally. When flanges are
offset or abutting parts differ in thickness or width by more than 1/8
in., make the joint with a smooth transition between offset surfaces
and with a slope of no more than 1:4.
b. Space members to provide a 3/16 in. root opening at the nearest point.
At other points of the joint when the spacing provides up to a 7/16 in.
opening, correction may be made by buildup up to 1/8 in. on each
bevel nose. Rebevel openings exceeding 7/16 in. and move the parts to
be joined closer together to bring the joint within the maximum
buildup limits. Allow buildups to cool to the maximum preheat and
interpass temperatures before welding the joint.
c. Bring all members into correct alignment and hold them in position by
acceptable clamps while welding.
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Figure 3
Girder splice details.
Figure 4
Girder splice details (flange).
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Figure 5
Girder splice details (web).
D. Preheat
1. Preheat ahead of welding both groove and fillet welds (including tack
welding) to the temperatures shown in Table 3. Keep preheat and interpass
temperatures high enough to prevent cracks. The preheat temperatures shown
in Table 3 are minimums, and higher preheats may be necessary in highly
restrained welds. When the base metal is below the required temperature,
preheat it so that parts being welded are not cooler than the specified
temperature within 3 in. of the point of welding.
2. Measure preheat temperature on the side opposite to which the heat is applied
at points approximately 3 in. away from the joint.
3. When possible, completely weld a joint before allowing it to cool below the
specified temperature. Always deposit enough weld to prevent cracking before
allowing a joint to cool. Do not allow preheat and interpass temperatures to
exceed 400°F for thickness up to 1 1/2 in. and 450°F for greater thicknesses.
Table 3
Minimum Preheat and Interpass Temperature
for Welding with Low-Hydrogen Electrodes
Thickest Part at Point of Welding Temperature
Up to 3/4 in., inclusive 50°F
More than 3/4 in. up to 1-1/2 in., inclusive 70°F
More than 1-1/2 in. up to 2-1/2 in., inclusive 150°F
More than 2-1/2 in. 225°F
4. When E7010 or E8010 electrodes are used for tacking or temporary root pass,
preheat the material in accordance with Table 4.
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Table 4
Minimum Preheat Temperature for Welding
with E7010 or E8010 Electrodes
Thickest Part at Point of Welding Temperature
1/2 in. and less 150°F
9/16 in. through 3/4 in. 200°F
13/16 in. through 1-1/2 in. 300°F
More than 1-1/2 in. 400°F
5. Use preheat and interpass temperatures for the thicker plate thickness when
joining steels of different thickness.
6. When the base metal temperature is below 32°F, preheat to at least 70°F and
maintain this minimum temperature during welding. If the base metal is moist,
preheat it to 200°F before starting to weld.
E. Welding Practice
2. Use the stringer-bead technique where possible for groove welds. In vertical
welding passes, progress upward using a back-step sequence.
3. Begin and terminate groove welds at the ends of a joint on extension bars.
Make edge preparation and thickness of extension bars the same as that of the
member being welded but extending at least 2 in. beyond the joint. After the
weld is completed and cooled, remove extension bars with a cutting torch or
arc-air gouging, and grind the flange edges smooth. If any defects are exposed
by the grinding, clean them, fill them with weld metal, and regrind them to a
uniform finish. Grind so that grind marks are parallel to the flange, and avoid
excess grinding of the parent metal. Clean and fuse tack welds thoroughly
with the final weld. Remove defective, cracked, or broken tack welds.
4. Gouge, chip, or otherwise remove the root of the initial weld to sound metal
for all groove welds, except those produced with the aid of backing or those
on steel piling or armor joints, before welding is started on the second side.
Thoroughly clean the back side before placing the backup pass. For groove
welds made with steel backing, thoroughly fuse the weld metal with the
backing, and use backing that is continuous for the full length of the weld.
Make a continuous length of backing by welding shorter sections together
only under the following conditions:
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All splices in the backing are complete joint penetration (CJP) groove
welds made with the same controls as similar CJP groove welds in the
structure.
All welding and testing of the backing is complete before the backing
is used to make the structural weld.
(1). E7010 and E8010 electrodes may be used when welding the
root passes of beam and girder splices if the work is preheated
in accordance with Table 4. After the root passes are backed
up, completely remove the E7010 or E8010 electrode pass by
arc-air gouging, and replace it using a low-hydrogen electrode.
b. Welding Sequence
(1). Make beam and girder splices using the sequences shown in
Figure 6. (Some members will require fewer or more passes
than Figure 6 shows.) Alternate welds from flat to overhead to
prevent heat buildup along bevel edge. Arrange the passes
between the top and bottom flange to maintain balance and
symmetry.
(2). For both rolled I beams and built-up girders, place passes 1, 2,
and 3 in the top flange, followed by passes 4, 5, and 6 in the
bottom flange (see Figure 6). Gouge out and replace passes 1
and 4, which always are placed in the overhead position. Next,
place passes 7, 8, and 9 in the top flange, followed by passes
10, 11, and 12 in the bottom flange. Continue with placing
passes 13–17 in the top flange, followed by passes 18–22 in the
bottom flange. Continue to alternate welding between top and
bottom flange with a maximum of 5 passes per flange until the
flange splices are complete. Tack weld web after aligning
girder webs with short tacks as required to obtain proper
alignment. Place pass 23 and pass 24 on the web. Gouge out
and replace pass 23. Finish web splice with pass 25.
(3). For each layer, each bead, and the crater area, remove all slag
and clean the weld and adjacent base metal before welding
over previously deposited metal. Avoid arc strikes, and if they
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Figure 6
Welding sequence for splices for material up to 50,000-psi yield strength.
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(2). FCAW
(a). Electrode Size
1) Use electrodes with the following maximum
size:
a) 5/32 in. for the flat and horizontal
positions,
b) 3/32 in. for the vertical position, and
c) 5/64 in. for the overhead position.
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F. Weld Quality
1. Provide welds that are sound throughout with no cracks in the weld metal or
weld pass. Completely fuse the weld metal and the base metal and each
subsequent pass. Keep welds free from overlap, and keep the base metal free
from undercut more than 1/100 in. deep when the direction of undercut is
transverse to the primary stress in the part that is undercut. Fill all craters to
the full cross section of the welds.
G. Radiographic Inspection
3. For field welds of splices in beams or girders, radiographically inspect the full
flange width of all flange splices and the top and bottom 1/6 of the web at
each splice. Radiographically retest repaired welds. Make necessary repairs
before any further work is done. Additional RT required because of
unacceptable welding or poor radiograph quality is at the Contractor’s
expense. RT of particular welds required by the plans is in addition to the RT
required by this Section.
H. Corrections
2. Use oxygen gouging or arc-air gouging when required to remove part of the
weld or base metal. Do not use oxygen gouging on weathering steel.
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Backgouge splices in beams and girders or cut out defective welds using arc-
air gouging by a welder qualified to make beam and girder splices.
3. Where corrections require depositing additional weld metal, slope the sides of
the area to be welded enough to permit depositing new metal.
5. Remove cracked welds completely and repair. If crack length is less than half
the length of the weld, remove the weld metal for the length of the crack plus
2 in. beyond each end of the crack, and repair.
6. Where work performed after making a deficient weld has made the weld
inaccessible or has caused new conditions making the correction of the
deficiency dangerous or ineffectual, restore the original conditions by
removing welds, members, or both before making the necessary corrections;
otherwise, compensate for the deficiency by performing additional work
according to a revised and approved design.
(1). Remove the parts of the weld containing slag, and replace them
with sound weld metal.
f. Removal of Base Metal during Welding
(1). Clean and form full size by depositing additional weld metal
using stringer beads.
1. Base Metal
3. Joint Types
a. Use butt splices for all No. 7 and larger bars. Use lap splices for No. 6
and smaller bars.
b. Make groove welds in lap splices at least 4 in. long, and weld them on
each side of the lap joint as shown in Figure 7. For No. 5 and smaller
bars, weld from one side of the lap when it is impractical to weld from
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Figure 7
Direct lap joint with bars in contact.
Figure 8
Single bevel V-groove weld in horizontal position.
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Figure 9
Double bevel V-groove weld in horizontal position.
Figure 10
Double bevel V-groove weld in vertical position.
4. Radiographic Inspection
a. Radiograph welded butt splices at the expense of the Contractor when
designated on the plans. Follow all applicable rules and regulations for
radiographic operations. Ensure that welds have no cracks and that the
sum of the greatest dimensions of porosity and fusion-type defects do
not exceed 1/10 of the nominal bar diameter.
b. The Owner’s Representative examines and interprets the resulting
radiographs, which become the property of and remain with the
Owner’s Representative.
A. The work performed, materials furnished, equipment, labor, tools, and incidentals
will not be measured or paid for directly but will be subsidiary to pertinent Sections.
END OF SECTION
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