Stud Base Qualification and Stud Welding
Stud Welding is a key joining method used in the fabrication of buildings and bridges, typically to connect metal and concrete in composite structural members. To ensure welded studs are of the highest quality and ensure the safety of both the users of building and bridges and the general public, CSA Standard S16 and CSA Standard S6 provide specific requirements around the qualification of stud base and their shop and field application.
Both, CSA Standards S6 and CSA Standard S16 require stud share connectors to be qualified in accordance to CSA standard W59. CSA Standards W59 provides requirements for the quality of the material for studs, stud base qualification, workmanship technique, pre-production testing, operator qualification, repair and inspection of welded studs during production, and other key considerations around welding of studs.
Fabricators performing stud welding under CSA Standard W59 are required to use only qualified studs through CWB qualification program. Studs that are shop or field applied must be qualified by the manufacturer through CWB to the requirements of CSA W59. Qualification of studs will ensure that the stud manufacturer has successfully met the tests and the quality system requirements as specified in the applicable standard.
Search for companies who have been qualified to CSA Standard W59
CWB often receives inquiries about requirements for approved welding procedures and qualifications for operators / welders conducting stud welding. Fabricators performing automatic stud welding are not required to be certified by the CWB; however they must follow the recommendations of the stud manufacturer. The fabricators are required to weld stud base qualified to CSA Standard W59 and qualify their operators prior any stud welding should commence.
However, fabricators conducting manual or semi-automatic welding of studs are required to be CWB certified to CSA Standard W47.1. An organization meeting the requirements of CSA Standard W47.1 will have qualified welders, accepted welding procedures and accepted supervisory/engineering personnel. All elements of the welding operation will be independently verified by the Canadian Welding Bureau on an on-going basis.
See the listing of all organizations that currently meet the requirements of CSA Standard W47.1
