Bob Shaw visits South Africa

01 January 2012

A three-city seminar was held by the South African Institute of Welding (SAIW) with the acclaimed Robert E Shaw, Jr., president of the Steel Structures Technology Center, Inc. a consulting firm in the USA providing consulting services, technical resources and training related to the design, fabrication, erection, inspection and quality of steel-framed structures, as key note speaker.

“Welding and inspection requirements” conferences were held in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town on 21, 22 and 24 May 2012 respectively.

The focus of the seminars was on the welding and inspection requirements for steel structures according to the American Welding Society (AWS) D1.1 Structural Welding Code – Steel. Steel building structures in South Africa and around the world are commonly welded to this standard.

Through the seminars, the confusion and concern in the industry about welding and inspection requirements for significant industrial structures such as power plants, ASME boilers, pressure vessels and piping welding standards were cleared up. The differences between ASME and AWS standards were highlighted to achieve a clear understanding of the requirements and intent of AWS D1.1. Attendees gained a more thorough understanding of the AWS D1.1 code and its proper application to steel-framed buildings and other industrial applications. In addition, relevant South African National Standards and other international welding standards were referenced and discussed.

In Johannesburg only another seminar was held, namely “Achieving satisfactory performance in bolted joints”, which involved the selection and verification of bolting materials, appropriate joint selection, proper installation and quality assurance. This seminar addressed concerns for structural and mechanical connections with high-strength fasteners under SANS 10162-1 and other related standards.

The seminar discussed existing standards, together with the introduction of new and innovative methods to reduce time and cost, and to improve the efficiency and quality of bolted connections. Also included was a discussion with regards to numerous problems encountered in bolted connections, including the lessons learned and the means to resolve those problems.