A GUIDE TO WELDING CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Introduction: What is the CWB Office of Public Safety?The Office of Public Safety was created to educate and advocate for both public safety and Canadian industry, while ensuring the Canadian Welding Bureau’s (CWB) accreditations are maintained and executed to the highest standard. The CWB Office of Public Safety is also a resource for Building Officials and industry to better understand standards related to welding and construction – and how the effective implementation of these standards can assist industry to become more competitive, improve quality, reduce risk and maintain public safety.
Building Officials and Welded Steel ConstructionBuilding Officials are key contributors to ensure that our infrastructure is constructed in accordance with our National and Provincial Building Codes which in turn ensures that our infrastructure is safe and the public is protected.
Steel is a common construction material used in industrial, commercial and even residential buildings. Welding is a one of the most common methods of joining structural steel, and Building Officials must be aware of the requirements of the Building Code related to structural steel and welding.
This guide is intended to provide Building Officials with a summary of the requirements of welding and welding certification as related to the National Building Code of Canada, NBCC and Provincial Building Codes.
What is the connection between the NBCC and CWB?Neither the National nor the Provincial building codes have any direct reference to welding. The requirements for welding are done via the mandatory requirement in the NBCC that CSA Standard S16 be used for all structural steel.
Section 4.3.4.1 of the NBCC states “Buildings and their structural members made of structural steel shall conform to CAN/CSA S16, Design of Steel Structures”.
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THE CANADIANWELDING BUREAU
OFFICE OF PUBLIC SAFETY
A Guide to Welding Certification Requirements For Building Officials
Examples of S16 applications : • Structural Steel• Miscellaneous Structural Steel (platforms, guards, stairs, storage
racks, etc.)• Open Web Steel Joists• Roof and Floor Decking Please refer to F1 (Pg.6) for a visual representation of typical structural steel components.
The NBCC also provides additional requirements for pre-engineered buildings.
Section 4.3.4.3. of the NBCC states that “Steel Building Systems shall be manufactured by companies certified in accordance with the requirements of CSA A660, Certification of Manufacturers of Steel Building Systems”.
Examples of A660 applications :
• Traditional Pre-engineered Buildings• Fabric Covered Buildings • Mini Storage Buildings
CSA A660, CSA S16 and other design standards have mandatory provisions requiring fabricators and erectors to be CWB certified to one of the following standards:
• CSA Standard W47.1 “Certification of Companies for Fusion Welding of Steel”
• CSA Standard W47.2 “Certification of Companies for Fusion Welding of Aluminum”
• CSA Standard W186 “Welding of Reinforcing Bars in Reinforced Concrete Construction
• CSA Standard W55.3, Certification of companies for resistance welding of steel and aluminum
Therefore, where welded structural steel is used in building construction, Building Officials are obligated to verify that those companies/ manufacturers involved in welded construction are certified by the CWB to the relevant standard(s).
Note that other linkages between the NBCC, design requirements and CWB certification requirements are illustrated in F3 (Pg.8 & 9).
What does it mean to be CWB certified?CSA Standard W47.1, CSA Standard W47.2, CSA Standard W186 and CSA Standard W55.3 have similar provisions for certification of fabricators and erectors. Certification means that 3 main components are in place:
• The company employs qualified welders• The company employs qualified welding engineers and welding
supervisors• The company follows approved welding procedures
The nature of welding requires that demonstrated competence of those involved in the welding operation along with competent oversight and proven fabrication methods be in place. Certification ensures that this is the case. In addition, the CWB provides ongoing oversight of a certified company’s welding operation to ensure that the requirements are consistently applied.
Verification: How can I verify CWB certification?Certification is an ongoing process. Care must be exercised to ensure that an organization’s certification is both current and appropriate for the type of work being completed.
There are several methods by which a Building Official may verify certification:
Verify company status on the CWB website Visit www.cwbgroup.org to search our database of CWB certified clients. Be sure to verify that the scope of certification matches the work on the specific project.
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Letter of Validation
During the permit or inspection process, you can request that the steel fabricator and erector provide their current CWB “Letter of Validation” (see F2 Pg. 7). Be sure to verify expiry dates and the scope of certification.
Note that for pre-engineered buildings, each steel building system must be supplied with a “certificate of design and manufacturing conformance”. This is a mandatory requirement of CSA A660 certification.
Call the CWB
You can call the CWB at 1-800-844-6790 to verify any claim of certification. We just need the company name and address to verify their status and scope of certification.
Other Documentation It should be noted that the following items are not proof of certification on their own.
• Welder Tickets• Welding Procedures• Wall Certificates• Welding Supervisor Certificates
Although these documents are part of the certification program, none can be used on their own to prove certification.
Equivalency: Is there any Equivalent System for Certification? The CWB is often asked if there are equivalent certification programs that meet the requirements of the NBCC. There are NO domestic or international equivalents to CSA Standard W47.1, CSA Standard W47.2, CSA Standard W186 and/or CSA Standard W55.3. Other national systems, such as that of the American Welding Society (AWS) do not include key concepts such as independent and on-going verification and qualified welding supervisors and engineers.
The CWB strongly cautions Building Officials around accepting substitutions; doing so may contravene the intent of NBCC and place public safety at risk.
How Can I Get More Help from CWB’s Office of Public Safety? The CWB is here to help, and can assist Building Officials through:
• Assistance with applications requiring CWB certification• Assistance with any aspect of CWB certification requirements• Job site visits• Complaints investigation
Call the office of Public Safety at 1.800.844.6790 ext. 717 for help at any time.
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BEAM SPLICE
BEAM TO POST WITH CAP & BASE PLATE
Backing Bar
Connection Angle
Cap Plate
Pipe Column(Post)
Base Plate
BEAM TO BEAM FRAMING
8080
Clipped for erection80 to 120
typical
CLIPPEDEND PLATE
CONNECTION
CLIPPED 2-LCONNECTION
Int. Stub Ext. Stub
Stub-girder span
HVAC ducting “Gerber” System“Drop-in” beam
Cantilever beam
Drop-in segment
Cap Plate Cantilever segment
Lateral Support Stiffener
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13
10
30
12
38
11
20
22
12
28
23
38
8
29
21
26
17 37
16
27
287
14 4
164
5 621
34
33
10
2432
1
18
37
25
25
2
25
25
19
31
3736
28
15
935
3
The CWB acknowledges that
BRIGHTWELD LTD.
123 Arcweld Way, Teejoint, ON Canada
is certified to CSA Standard W47.1
"Certification of Companies for Fusion Welding of Steel"
in DIVISION 2
for the period April 4, 2013 to May 3, 2014
Company Code: BRIWL1
Scope: Welding and fabrication of structural steel.
The product certification system operated by the Canadian Welding Bureau most closely resembles that described
by ISO/IEC Guide 67, Conformity assessment — Fundamentals of product certification, System 6.
F1 F2
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STRUCTURAL STEELNational & Provincial Building
Codes-Section 4.3.4.1
Design Basis for Structural Steel
“Buildings and their structural members made of structural
steel shall conform to CAN/CSA S16-09, Design of
Steel Structures ”
COLD FORMED STEELNational & Provincial Building Codes-
Section 4.3.4.2Design Basis for Cold Formed
Steel“Buildings and their structural
members made of cold formed steel shall conform to CAN/CSA S136-07 North American Specification for the
Design of Cold -Formed Steel Structural Members”
Clause 16.5.16
Welding Open Web Steel
Joists
Clause 16.8.5Installation of Steel Deck
Clause 24.3Fabricator
and Erector Qualification
Clause 24.2Resistance
Welding
Clause 28.7Steel
Building Systems
CSA A660Certification of
Manufacturers of Steel Building Systems
CAN/CSA S136North American Specification for the Design of Cold-formed Steel
Structural Members
Clause E2aWelding Connections
CSA A23.3-04Design of Concrete Structures
CSA A23.1Concrete Materials and Methods of Concrete
Construction
Clause 6.6.10Welding of
Reinforcement
Clause 6.7Welding of Hardware
CSA W186Welding of Reinforcing
Bars in Reinforced Concrete
Construction
CSA W59Welded Steel Construction (Metal Arc Welding)
CSA S157Strength Design in Aluminum
Clause 18.8Welding
CSA W47.2Certification of Companies
for Fusion Welding of Aluminum
CAN/CSA S16Design of Steel
Structures
CSA W55.3Certification of Companies for
Resistance Welding of Steel and Aluminum
STEEL BUILDINGSYSTEMS
National & Provincial Building Codes-
Section 4.3.4.3Steel Building Systems
“Steel building systems shall be manufactured by
companies certified in accordance with the
requirements of CSA A660, ‘ Certification of
Manufacturers of Steel Building Systems’ ”
CSA A660Certification of
Manufacturers of Steel Building
Systems
CONCRETENational & Provincial Building
Codes-Section 4.3.3.1
Design Basis for Plain, Reinforced and Pressed Concrete
“Buildings and their structural members made of plain, reinforced
or prestressed concrete shall conform to CSA A23.3-04 Design of
Concrete Structures”
STRUCTURAL ALUMINUM
National & Provincial Building Codes-
Section 4.3.5.1Design Basis for Aluminum“Buildings and their structural
members made aluminum shall conform to
CSA S157-05 Strength Design in Aluminum”
CSA W47.1Certification of
Companies for Fusion Welding of Steel
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F3
9
GOPSWC 05/22/13
The CWB Group8260 Parkhill Drive
Milton, ON L9T 5V7www.weldquality.org
1.800.844.6790 ext. [email protected]
THE OFFICE of PUBLIC SAFETY
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Notes