The American Welding Society published in 2006 a supplement to its standards on welding structures that are designed to resist seismic loading, and Lincoln Electric now is offering training for unions and associations on the new requirements.

The American Welding Society’s D1 Seismic Subcommittee developed the AWS D1.8 Seismic Welding Supplement. The subcommittee was responsible for researching and creating the new standards, and was chaired by Duane Miller, Lincoln Electric’s manager of engineering services.

The new standards were developed in part as a response to the magnitude 6.7 earthquake that hit the Los Angeles area in 1994. That earthquake drastically altered the industry’s understanding of how welded steel buildings behave during major earthquakes, and the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided funds for studies to determine the cause of the unexpected damage, and to provide recommendations for new building construction.

The American Welding Society established the D1 sub-committee before the federal studies were completed to establish appropriate seismic welding standards.

In an announcement on the training that now is available, Lincoln Electric said Miller and other Lincoln employees, including Dennis Klingman, manager of technical training, have been involved with training individuals on the new D1.8 provisions, including members of the Ironworkers Union.

Miller is also presenting a workshop on the new seismic standard at the American Institute of Steel Construction’s (AISC) Steel Conference in April in New Orleans.

For more information on Lincoln’s training, contact Dennis Klingman at dennis_klingman@lincolnelectric.com