A GUIDE TO WELDING CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS Introducon: 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) accreditaons are maintained and executed to the highest standard. The CWB Office of Public Safety is also a resource for Building Officials and industry to beer understand standards related to welding and construcon – and how the effecve implementaon of these standards can assist industry to become more compeve, improve quality, reduce risk and maintain public safety. Building Officials and Welded Steel Construcon Building Officials are key contributors to ensure that our infrastructure is constructed in accordance with our Naonal and Provincial Building Codes which in turn ensures that our infrastructure is safe and the public is protected. Steel is a common construcon material used in industrial, commercial and even residenal buildings. Welding is 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 cerficaon as related to the Naonal Building Code of Canada, NBCC and Provincial Building Codes for steel building systems known also as “pre-engineered buildings”. What is the connecon between the NBCC and CWB? The requirements for cerficaon of manufacturers of steel building systems (also known as pre-engineered buildings) are done via the mandatory requirement in the NBCC that CSA Standard A660 be used for steel building systems. Secon 4.3.4.3 of the NBCC states that “Steel Building Systems shall be manufactured by companies cerfied in accordance with the requirements of CSA A660, Cerficaon of Manufacturers of Steel Building Systems”. 1 THE CANADIAN WELDING BUREAU OFFICE OF PUBLIC SAFETY A Guide to Certification Requirements of Manufacturers of Steel Building Systems for Building Officials
Transcript
A GUIDE TO WELDING CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Introducti on: What is the CWB Offi ce of Public Safety?The Offi ce of Public Safety was created to educate and advocate for both public safety and Canadian industry, while ensuring the Canadian Welding Bureau’s (CWB) accreditati ons are maintained and executed to the highest standard. The CWB Offi ce of Public Safety is also a resource for Building Offi cials and industry to bett er understand standards related to welding and constructi on – and how the eff ecti ve implementati on of these standards can assist industry to become more competi ti ve, improve quality, reduce risk and maintain public safety.
Building Offi cials and Welded Steel Constructi on Building Offi cials are key contributors to ensure that our infrastructure is constructed in accordance with our Nati onal and Provincial Building Codes which in turn ensures that our infrastructure is safe and the public is protected.
Steel is a common constructi on material used in industrial, commercial and even residenti al buildings. Welding is one of the most common methods of joining structural steel, and Building Offi cials must be aware of the requirements of the Building Code related to structural steel and welding.
This guide is intended to provide Building Offi cials with a summary of the requirements of welding and welding certi fi cati on as related to the Nati onal Building Code of Canada, NBCC and Provincial Building Codes for steel building systems known also as “pre-engineered buildings”.
What is the connecti on between the NBCC and CWB?The requirements for certi fi cati on of manufacturers of steel building systems (also known as pre-engineered buildings) are done via the mandatory requirement in the NBCC that CSA Standard A660 be used for steel building systems.
Secti on 4.3.4.3 of the NBCC states that “Steel Building Systems shall be manufactured by companies certi fi ed in accordance with the requirements of CSA A660, Certi fi cati on of Manufacturers of Steel Building Systems”.
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THE CANADIANWELDING BUREAU
OFFICE OF PUBLIC SAFETY
A Guide to Certifi cation Requirements of Manufacturers of Steel Building Systems for Building Offi cials
Examples of A660 Applicati ons : • Traditi onal pre-engineered buildings• Fabric covered buildings• Mini Storage buildings
Examples of A660 applicati ons are illustrated in F1 (pg. 6 & 7).
Therefore, where steel building systems are used in building constructi on, Building Offi cials are obligated to verify that those companies/manufacturers involved in their design and constructi on are certi fi ed to the relevant standard(s). At present, the CWB is the only certi fi cati on body that provides certi fi cati on services to CSA Standard A660.
What is a steel building system?A steel building system is an integrated assembly of manufactured steel primary structural components, secondary structural components of any material, and cladding of any material, specifi cally designed by the manufacturer to support and transfer loads and provide a complete or parti al building shell.
Unlike traditi onal steel delivered by the steel manufacturers in standard shapes and lengths, the structural components for the steel building systems are designed and manufactured to non-standard shapes and sizes specifi cally to carry non-traditi onal loads and to close up the building.
Some examples of building systems are illustrated in F2 (pg. 8).
Does the manufacturer have to be certi fi ed separately for its welding operati ons?Yes. The requirements for certi fi cati on of the manufacturers of steel building systems are done via a mandatory requirement in the CSA Standard A660:
Clause 8.2 of CSA Standard A660 states “The manufacturer shall demonstrate to the sati sfacti on of the certi fi cati on agency that:
(a) the manufacturer is certi fi ed under CSA W47.1, Division 1 or 2 for welded fabricati on;(b) if resistance welding is used, the manufacturer is certi fi ed in accordance with CSA W55.3;(c) fabricati on conforms to the requirements of CAN/CSA-S16 and CAN/ CSA-S136, as applicable to the steel building system; and(d) arc welding conforms to CSA W59 and CAN/CSA-S136, as applicable to the steel building system.
CSA Standards W47.1, and W55.3 have similar provisions for the certi fi cati on of fabricators and erectors. Certi fi cati on means that 3 main components are in place:
• The company employs qualifi ed welders and welding operators• The company employs qualifi ed welding engineers and welding supervisors• The company follows approved welding procedures
CSA Standard W59 provides guidance on weld design, fabricati on techniques, inspecti on and other key considerati ons around the welding of steel.
The nature of welding requires that demonstrated competence of those involved in the welding operati on along with competent oversight and proven fabricati on methods be in place. Certi fi ed ensures that this is the case. In additi on, the CWB provides ongoing oversight of a certi fi ed company’s welding operati on to ensure that the requirements are consistently applied.
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What are the benefi ts of A660 certi fi cati on? Companies which hold A660 certi fi cati on are required to have and maintain a quality management system similar to the more generic ISO 9001 certi fi cati on, but much more detailed and specifi c to the manufacture of steel building systems.
Maintaining a quality management system involves independent and on-going verifi cati on by the CWB of the manufacturer’s design systems to ensure compliance to Canadian Standards. In additi on, through periodic audits, CWB personnel review the manufacturer’s fabricati on procedures starti ng from incoming raw material right through to the fi nished product.
There are numerous “dealers” which resell steel building systems. The certi fi cati on of the dealer is not required provided all design and fabricati on is done by a Certi fi ed Manufacturer. Note that some dealers may work with multi ple manufacturers – some certi fi ed, others not.
Verifi cati on: How can I verify CWB certi fi cati on?Certi fi cati on is an ongoing process. Care must be exercised to ensure that an organizati ons certi fi cati on is both current and appropriate for the type of work being completed.
There are several methods by which a Building Offi cial may verify certi fi cati on:
Verify company status on the CWB website
Visit www.cwbweb.org to search our database of CWB certi fi ed clients.
Certi fi cati on of Registrati on for steel building systems manufacturers and Lett er of Validati on for steel fabricators and erectors.
During the permit or inspecti on process, you can request that the manufacturer provide their current CWB “Certi fi cate of Registrati on” (see F4 pg. 10) for steel building system manufacturers and CWB “Lett er of Validati on” for steel fabricators and erectors. (See F3 pg.9). Be sure to verify expiry dates and the scope of certi fi cati on.
In additi on for A660 certi fi cati on, each steel building system supplied must be identi fi ed by a certi fi cate of design and manufacturing conformance prepared, signed, and sealed by a professional engineer licensed to practi se in the jurisdicti on concerned.
F5 (pg. 12) illustrates a certi fi cate of design and manufacturing conformance.
Call the CWB
You can call the CWB at 1-800-844-6790 to verify any claim of certi fi cati on. We just need the company name and address to verify their status and scope of certi fi cati on.
Equivalency: Is there any Equivalent System for Certi fi cati on?The CWB be is oft en asked if there are equivalents certi fi cati on programs that meet the requirements of the NBCC. There are NO domesti c or internati onal equivalents to CSA Standard A660 or to CSA Standard W47.1.
The CWB strongly cauti ons building offi cials around accepti ng substi tuti ons; doing so may contravene the intent of the NBCC and place public safety at risk.
How Can I Get More Help from CWB’s Offi ce of Public Safety? The CWB is here to help, and can assist Building Offi cials through:
• Assistance with applicati ons requiring CWB certi fi cati on• Assistance with any aspect of CWB certi fi cati on requirements• Job site visits• Complaints investi gati on
Call the CWB at 1-800-844-6790 ext. 717 for help at any ti me.
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1
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F1
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Clearspan with straight columns Clearspan with tapered columns
Single slope clearspan Lean-to
Modular building with 2 interior columns(3 Modules)
Single slope modular building with 1 interior column (2 modules)
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.
F2 F3
Refer to www.cwbgroup.org for current certification status.
A660 Cer – 2012-08 QUASAR, A Division of the CWB Group, 8260 Park Hill Drive, Milton, Ontario, Canada, L9T 5V7, Tel: 1-800-844-6790 / (905)-542-1312, Fax: (905) 542-1318, Web: www.cwbgroup.org
QUASAR
BRIGHTWELD Ltd. Plant: 123 Arcweld Way, Teejoint, ON
Design Office: 456 Arcstrike Ave, Teejoint, ON
CSA A660-10 "Certification of Manufacturers of Steel Building Systems"
