DGXL,
I met with the Engineer and Architech in thier office Monday and they really let us off the hook on alot of this "crap"(for the lack of a better definition). He does want to use the design of welded moments in the strong direction of the beam to column flg. details described by FEMA 350 section 3.5.1 and figure 3-7.
Where we are framing beam to column web(weak axis), he wants us to use a full pen. butt joint (beam flg to col. stiff plate) and remove the backing at the bottom flg. and run a reinforcing back weld across the joint instead of the 5/16" fillet(because I told him there was no place to put the 5/16" fillet like required at the strong axis detail).
As for the welding, he says he wants us to go by D1.1 - 98 or later.
FEMA also added additional full pen. stiff plates in the columns(figure 3-6) where normally they would not be needed along with web doubler plates. All of which are not covered in our bid estimate. Plus in the field we now have over head welding and back gouging. Which now have to be done from man lifts or scaffolding all of which we did not cover in our estimate. We have learned a great deal from this job, I just want to make certain we don't get caught like this again. I really would like to get our people educated more in this seismic design and requirements.
I'm not sure if we would had been any better off if this was a bolted moment job. I think then we would be addressing a different set of problems. Holes not aligned and plates on the columns having to be cut off and relocated because of beam over-run.
R.E. Shaw of Steel Structures Technology Center is putting on seminars regarding FEMA, do you know if they would be benificial in getting our shop and office caught up to speed on FEMA?