CSA W186:21

Welding of reinforcing bars in reinforced concrete construction

Legal Notice for Standards

Canadian Standards Association (operating as “CSA Group”) develops standards through a consensus standards development process approved by the Standards Council of Canada. This process brings together volunteers representing varied viewpoints and interests to achieve consensus and develop a standard. Although CSA Group administers the process and establishes rules to promote fairness in achieving consensus, it does not independently test, evaluate, or verify the content of standards.

Disclaimer and exclusion of liability

This document is provided without any representations, warranties, or conditions of any kind, express or implied, including, without limitation, implied warranties or conditions concerning this document’s fitness for a particular purpose or use, its merchantability, or its non-infringement of any third party’s intellectual property rights. CSA Group does not warrant the accuracy, completeness, or currency of any of the information published in this document. CSA Group makes no representations or warranties regarding this document’s compliance with any applicable statute, rule, or regulation.

IN NO EVENT SHALL CSA GROUP, ITS VOLUNTEERS, MEMBERS, SUBSIDIARIES, OR AFFILIATED COMPANIES, OR THEIR EMPLOYEES, DIRECTORS, OR OFFICERS, BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, INJURY, LOSS, COSTS, OR EXPENSES, HOWSOEVER CAUSED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, LOST REVENUE, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOST OR DAMAGED DATA, OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL OR ECONOMIC LOSS, WHETHER BASED IN CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), OR ANY OTHER THEORY OF LIABILITY, ARISING OUT OF OR RESULTING FROM ACCESS TO OR POSSESSION OR USE OF THIS DOCUMENT, EVEN IF CSA GROUP HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, INJURY, LOSS, COSTS, OR EXPENSES.

In publishing and making this document available, CSA Group is not undertaking to render professional or other services for or on behalf of any person or entity or to perform any duty owed by any person or entity to another person or entity. The information in this document is directed to those who have the appropriate degree of experience to use and apply its contents, and CSA Group accepts no responsibility whatsoever arising in any way from any and all use of or reliance on the information contained in this document.

CSA Group is a private not-for-profit company that publishes voluntary standards and related documents. CSA Group has no power, nor does it undertake, to enforce compliance with the contents of the standards or other documents it publishes.

Intellectual property rights and ownership

As between CSA Group and the users of this document (whether it be in printed or electronic form), CSA Group is the owner, or the authorized licensee, of all works contained herein that are protected by copyright, all trade-marks (except as otherwise noted to the contrary), and all inventions and trade secrets that may be contained in this document, whether or not such inventions and trade secrets are protected by patents and applications for patents. Without limitation, the unauthorized use, modification, copying, or disclosure of this document may violate laws that protect CSA Group’s and/or others’ intellectual property and may give rise to a right in CSA Group and/or others to seek legal redress for such use, modification, copying, or disclosure. To the extent permitted by licence or by law, CSA Group reserves all intellectual property rights in this document.

Patent rights

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this standard may be the subject of patent rights. CSA Group shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Users of this standard are expressly advised that determination of the validity of any such patent rights is entirely their own responsibility.

Authorized use of this document

This document is being provided by CSA Group for informational and non-commercial use only. The user of this document is authorized to do only the following:

If this document is in electronic form:

• load this document onto a computer for the sole purpose of reviewing it;

• search and browse this document; and

• print this document if it is in PDF format.

  Limited copies of this document in print or paper form may be distributed only to persons who are authorized by CSA Group to have such copies, and only if this Legal Notice appears on each such copy.

  In addition, users may not and may not permit others to

• alter this document in any way or remove this Legal Notice from the attached standard;

• sell this document without authorization from CSA Group; or

• make an electronic copy of this document.

  If you do not agree with any of the terms and conditions contained in this Legal Notice, you may not load or use this document or make any copies of the contents hereof, and if you do make such copies, you are required to destroy them immediately. Use of this document constitutes your acceptance of the terms and conditions of this Legal Notice.

  
  

  
  

  Standards Update Service

  CSA W186:21

  March 2021

  
  

  Title: Welding of reinforcing bars in reinforced concrete construction

  To register for e-mail notification about any updates to this publication

• go to www.csagroup.org/store/

• click on Product Updates

The List ID that you will need to register for updates to this publication is 2427317.

If you require assistance, please e-mail techsupport@csagroup.org or call 416-747-2233.

Visit CSA Group’s policy on privacy at www.csagroup.org/legal to find out how we protect your personal information.

CSA W186:21

Welding of reinforcing bars in reinforced concrete construction

®A trademark of the Canadian Standards Association, operating as “CSA Group”

Published in March 2021 by CSA Group

A not-for-profit private sector organization

178 Rexdale Boulevard, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M9W 1R3

To purchase standards and related publications, visit our Online Store at www.csagroup.org/store/

or call toll-free 1-800-463-6727 or 416-747-4044.

ICS 25.160.10

ISBN 978-1-4883-2271-6

© 2021 Canadian Standards Association

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the prior permission of the publisher.

Contents

Technical Committee on Welding of Bridges, Buildings, and Machinery 5

Technical Committee on Certification of Companies for Welding of Steel and Aluminum 8

Preface 11

1. Scope 13

   
   

2. Reference publications 15

   
   

3. Definitions and symbols 17

   1. Definitions 17

   2. Symbols 19

      
      

4. Administration 19

   
   

5. Requirements for certification 21

   1. General 21

   2. Divisions 21

   3. Application for certification 22

   4. Personnel 22

   5. Reporting of personnel and documentation 22

   6. Review of welding-related requirements and technical review 22

   7. Equipment 23

   8. Inspection and testing 23

   9. Nonconformance and corrective actions 23

   10. Identification and traceability 23

   11. Quality records 23

       
       

6. Welding engineer 23

   1. General 23

   2. Duties of the welding engineer 23

   3. Company visits by the welding engineer 24

   4. Qualification of the welding engineer 24

      
      

7. Welding supervisor 25

   
   

8. Welding personnel 26

   1. General 26

   2. Qualification process for welding personnel 27

   3. Period of effectiveness for the qualification of welding personnel 28

      1. General 28

      2. Welder qualification 28

      3. Welding operator 29

   4. Renewal of qualifications 29

   5. Extent of qualification 29

   6. Records of qualifications 30

9. Qualification of welding personnel 30

   1. General 30

   2. Processes 31

   3. Consumables 31

   4. Test assemblies 31

      1. General 31

      2. Welding personnel qualifications 31

      3. Fillet weld test assemblies 32

      4. Indirect butt and lap joints 32

      5. Direct butt joint and complete joint penetration weld in a T-joint 32

      6. NLB cross joints and lap joints 32

      7. Test assembly base material 33

      8. Modes of process application 33

      9. Class and welding positions 33

      10. Test and qualifications 33

      11. Test methods 34

      12. Retest in case of failure 35

      13. Upgrading 35

      14. Check testing 36

          
          

10. Welding procedure specifications (WPS) 36

    
    

11. Welding procedure data sheets (WPDS) 36

    1. General 36

    2. Qualification of WPDS 36

    3. Procedure qualification record (PQR) 37

    4. Types of test groupings of welds 38

    5. Limitations of variables 38

    6. Test assemblies, positions, and specimens 39

       1. General 39

       2. Test assemblies for direct butt joints and complete penetration welds in T-joints 39

       3. Test assemblies for indirect butt-splices 39

       4. Test assemblies fillet welds in T-joints connecting bars to structural members 39

       5. Test assemblies for NLB in cross and lap joints 40

    7. Test methods and acceptance criteria 40

       1. Visual examination 40

       2. Radiographic examination 41

    8. Macro-etch test specimen 41

    9. Retest for soundness test 41

    10. Tensile test specimen 41

    11. Retest of mechanical test 41

    12. Range of validity 42

        
        

12. Base metal 42

    1. General 42

    2. Reinforcing bars 42

    3. Structural steel 42

    4. Carbon equivalent 43

    5. Material test reports 43

13. Design of welded connections 43

    1. General requirements 43

       1. Documents 43

    2. Requirements for welds 44

       1. Types of welded bar splices 44

    3. Selection of welded bar splices 45

    4. Types of welded connections of bars to structural members in anchorages 45

    5. Types of welds 46

       1. Standard welding symbols 46

       2. Single- or double-V groove welds 46

       3. Single- or double-bevel groove welds 46

       4. Complete joint penetration groove welds 46

       5. Flare-bevel groove welds 46

       6. Flare-V groove welds 46

       7. Fillet welds 46

    6. Effective areas, throats, and measured sizes of structural welds 46

       1. Complete penetration groove welds in direct butt-splices 46

       2. Flare groove welds 47

       3. Fillet welds 48

       4. Non-load-bearing joints 49

    7. Design of joints 49

       1. Notation 49

       2. Required joint strength 50

    8. Selection of electrodes and structural steel and determination of joint strength 50

       1. Complete penetration groove welds used for direct butt-splices 50

       2. Complete penetration groove welds used for T-Joints 51

       3. Fillet welds 52

       4. Flare-V groove welds 52

       5. Flare-bevel groove welds 53

    9. Tack welds 53

       
       

14. Electrodes, workmanship, and technique 54

    1. General 54

    2. Electrodes 54

    3. Preparation of material 56

    4. Assembly 57

    5. Details of welding procedures 58

    6. Control of distortion and shrinkage stresses 59

    7. Preheat and interpass temperature 59

    8. Profile of welds 59

    9. Quality of welds 60

    10. Correction and repairs 60

    11. Arc strikes 61

    12. Peening 61

        
        

15. Inspection 61

    1. General 61

       
       

       15.1.1	Company’s inspector	61
       15.1.2	Third-party inspection	61

    2. Inspection of materials 62

    3. Obligations of the company 62

    4. Nondestructive examination 63

    5. Radiographic examination of welds 63

       1. General 63

       2. Extent of examination 64

       3. Radiographic procedure 64

       4. Radiographic source 67

       5. Acceptability of the welds 67

       6. Examination, reporting, and disposition of radiographs 67

       7. Alternative radiation imaging systems 68

    6. Magnetic particle examination of welds 69

    7. Liquid penetrant examination of welds 69

    8. Ultrasonic examination of welds 69

Annex A (informative) — Electrode properties 104

Annex B (informative) — Metric and US reinforcing bar data for design calculations 105

Annex C (informative) — Examples of design in welds 108

Annex D (informative) — Splitting forces in concrete surrounding lap splices 121

Annex E (informative) — Welding procedure specification 123

Annex F (informative) — Welding procedure data sheet 127

Annex G (informative) — Suggested areas of study for welding engineers 128

Annex H (informative) — Guidelines for the welding engineer 129 Annex I (informative) — Commentary on Clauses 5.6 to 5.11 130 Annex J (informative) — Advanced quality requirements (optional) 133

Preface

This is the fourth edition of CSA W186, Welding of reinforcing bars in reinforced concrete construction. It supersedes the previous editions published in 1990, 1981, and 1970.

Several clauses have been updated extensively and there have been additions as well. The revisions were made to reflect the experience and knowledge gained during recent years. An important consideration was to ensure that this Standard continues to relate to the limit states (load factor) design.

The new items introduced in this edition relate to the X-ray method for non-destructive examination of direct butt joints and the introduction of non-load-bearing joints.

This Standard deals with the certification of companies for fusion welding of reinforcing bars, weld design, fabrication, and inspection of welds of reinforcing bars in reinforced concrete construction. It is not a product Standard and cannot be used to evaluate or approve products. It is not intended to supersede Codes and Standards that govern specific products.

This Standard stipulates minimum requirements that a company must meet and adhere to in order to obtain and maintain certification. Certification is granted by the Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB), the administrative body for this Standard, to companies that comply with the requirements of this Standard. Certification of a company indicates that, consistent with the requirements of the division in which the company is certified, it has the organization, personnel, welding procedures, and equipment required to produce satisfactory welds and weldments.

Production of satisfactory welds and weldments is the responsibility of the certified company. It is the responsibility of the purchaser to ensure, through adequate inspection, that the required quality is attained. Although the CWB makes periodic inspections of certified companies to ensure that they continue to comply with the requirements of this Standard, these inspections do not eliminate the need for a certified company’s quality control methods or a purchaser’s comprehensive inspection program.

This Standard was prepared by the Technical Committee on Welding of Bridges, Buildings, and Machinery and the Technical Committee on Certification of Companies for Welding of Steel and Aluminum, under the jurisdiction of the Strategic Steering Committee on Construction and Civil Infrastructure, and has been formally approved by both Technical Committees.

Notes:

1. Use of the singular does not exclude the plural (and vice versa) when the sense allows.

2. Although the intended primary application of this Standard is stated in its Scope, it is important to note that it remains the responsibility of the users of the Standard to judge its suitability for their particular purpose.

3. This Standard was developed by consensus, which is defined by CSA Policy governing standardization — Code of good practice for standardization as “substantial agreement. Consensus implies much more than a simple majority, but not necessarily unanimity”. It is consistent with this definition that a member may be included in the Technical Committee list and yet not be in full agreement with all clauses of this Standard.

4. To submit a request for interpretation of this Standard, please send the following information to

   inquiries@csagroup.org and include “Request for interpretation” in the subject line:

   1. define the problem, making reference to the specific clause, and, where appropriate, include an illustrative sketch;

   2. provide an explanation of circumstances surrounding the actual field condition; and

   3. where possible, phrase the request in such a way that a specific “yes” or “no” answer will address the issue.

      Committee interpretations are processed in accordance with the CSA Directives and guidelines governing standardization and are available on the Current Standards Activities page at standardsactivities.csa.ca.

5. This Standard is subject to review within five years from the date of publication. Suggestions for its improvement will be referred to the appropriate committee. To submit a proposal for change, please send the following information to inquiries@csagroup.org and include “Proposal for change” in the subject line:

   1. Standard designation (number);

   2. relevant clause, table, and/or figure number;

   3. wording of the proposed change; and

   4. rationale for the change.

CSA W186:21

Welding of reinforcing bars in reinforced concrete construction

1 Scope

1.1

This Standard governs the certification of companies. Certification pertains to the capability of the company with respect to welding. Certification should not be construed as approving any products or services of the certified company.

Note: The requirements of this Standard are based on the principle that a certified company has full responsibility for the quality of the welded product it produces, and this responsibility cannot be transferred to its employed or retained personnel or to the administrator of this Standard.

1.2

This Standard provides the requirements for the

1. certification of companies engaged in the fusion welding of reinforcing bars and the qualification of their personnel and welding procedures;

2. the design, fabrication, and inspection of welded connections utilizing deformed reinforcing bars;

3. welding of deformed reinforcing bars either directly to each other or through splice members; and

4. welding of deformed reinforcing bars to structural or low-alloy steel members used as anchorages in precast or cast-in-place concrete construction either in the fabricating shop or in the field.

In lieu of meeting requirements of this Standard, companies performing welding of reinforcing bars to steel elements may apply testing requirements of CSA W47.1 and have their welding personnel and welding procedures accepted with CSA W47.1.

Note: Some examples of applications that can apply certification of CSA W47.1 are welding of deformed bars (anchors) to structural or hardware elements when installing precast panels to buildings, lifting devices, base plates, ladders, catwalks, etc. Whenever the welding of reinforcing rebars is required to reinforce the concrete in applications like concrete, precast, cast in place construction, etc., provisions of CSA W186 apply. Applications required by the following standards require certification to this standard: CSA A448.1, A23.1, A23.3, A23.4, N287.2, N287.3, N287.4, N287.5, S304.1, S6, S474, S850, and Z98.

1.3

This Standard stipulates requirements for

1. welding engineers;

2. welding supervisors;

3. welders and welding operators; and

4. documentation.

   Notes:

   1. The qualification requirements for welders, and welding operators specified in this Standard are intended to demonstrate an individual’s basic welding skills and to provide a means of verifying that individual’s continuing ability in the fusion welding of steel.

   2. Provisions for recognition of personnel qualified under other jurisdictions are included in this Standard.