Underwater CWI, where is the committee ?

Date 12-18-2004 04:24

I know that out here in the oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico, that when we do underwater weld testing, that some of the places that we send our weld test to don't always use D3.6. I'm sure that there are other places that do underwater welding that may run in to the same problem.

Charles Welch

By tacotuner Date 12-18-2004 18:16

Well thats interesting. So what happens, do they screw up your test peices and you have the welder take another one ?
I assume that what your talking about is sending your test peices to a lab for destructive testing.

I've only had my CWI for 3.5 yrs. Having been working pipeline,(D1.1& CWWA) structural,(D1.1 ) and bridge welding, (D1.5) I have yet to become familiar with D3.6 All my u/w welding having been done as an operator rather than as an inspector, I have yet to become very familiar with the code.

With U/W-CWI being the primary motivation for me obtaining my CWI ticket I am a bit worried that my objective is withering on the vine.
Also my hide is suffering from a severe case of dry rot.

Thanks for you input.
Dave Riggs

By gndchuck (**)

Date 12-19-2004 04:00

On one job that we had 12 people testing for, at a depth of -20 feet and -80 feet, all the weld tests were coded under D1.1. All the test under that code will fail, where as D3.6 accounts for the porsity that you will get underwater welding. For us when we test we'll get our welding rate and any depth pay if the testing is deep enough, so that little hiccup cost the company a little chunk of change.

Charles Welch

By Neal Chapman (**)

Date 12-20-2004 04:33

I am on the Cert Committee and I haven't heard of this endorsement. Presently we are pursuing NDE endorsements such as PT (solvent removable).

If you are interested in seeing such an endorsement please provide me some details. Our next meeting is Jan 27/28 if memory serves me right. You can send your proposal to me and copy Jeff Hufsey (hufsey@aws.org) at Miami HQ on it. Jeff can find out if the Chairman will put it on the agenda for discussion. A short description of what it would take and what the business case is would be helpful to get your good idea into the pipeline.

By SFDiver2 Date 12-26-2004 06:53

I would highly suggest AWS having such an endorsement.
With the quality of wet welds increasing - along with the number of divers coming out of schools claiming to have certifications and barely able to find their way into the water let alone get something done correctly and to a standard - It would be a great pleasure to help establish this type of endorsement.
I am a commercial diver of 15 years plus.
I have two degrees in welding technology / engineering.
I am a past CWI- would like to get recertified again.
I have current wet welding certs - Lloyds / DNV and able to produce Class "A" welds.
I am also in involved with developing some type of a a diver /welder certification program for our local union.
If you need assistance / and or comments please feel free to contact.

By MBSims

Date 12-26-2004 13:02

I found the following blurb on the D3 webpage on this subject:

"D3B -- UNDERWATER WELDING
The November 11, 2004 meeting of the Underwater Welding Committee Chaired by Roger Holdsworth was well attended in Metairie, LA and followed on November 12 with the ISO TC44 WG1 meeting. Members attended from the UK, France, Germany and of course the US to help create the new AWS D3.6 Underwater Welding Code and AWS A5.35 Specification for Wet Welding Electrodes for Shielded Metal Arc Welding. D3B members are also working to create an AWS Certification for Marine Welding Inspectors. The next meeting for this group is set for Thursday, November 3, 2005 in Metairie, LA at the Pipe Trades Center."

Here's the link:

http://www.aws.org/w/s/technical/d3index.html

If the Certification Committee hasn't heard of this, then it sounds like Technical and Certification need to get together.

Neal, perhaps you can get a copy of the D3B minutes from Nov. 11, 2004 and see what they are doing.

Marty

By Neal Chapman (**)

Date 12-28-2004 05:29

Hi Marty,

Hope you are well and enjoying the holidays. Thanks for the research. I will forward this on the Jeff Hufsey in HQ and get his input on it.

Since the October 2003 Standards Council Meeting, endorsements to CWI can be created within the Certification Committee. If industry sponsors want this subject to move at a quicker pace I suggest that we collect a critical mass and put a project team together for it.

Give me 7 good names that are willing to give me 40 hours each (all electronic) and I'll see that it gets done in a year or two versus a decade. This challenge is meant for the bubbly welding community but Marty I would enjoy working with you again.

Thanks,
Neal

By MBSims

Date 12-28-2004 20:30

Neal,

I'll wait to hear more on where D3B is going and what's been done already, but you can put me down as a volunteer if needed. I also suggest Tom Reynolds at Global Divers. I'm sure there would be some D3B members that would assist. Jim O'Sullivan would also be a good person to help.

By the way, I saw where Whitey Grubbs passed away this year. I think it was in the Welding Journal. His wisdom will be missed.

Marty

By Neal Chapman (**)

Date 01-01-2005 16:00

Marty,

Thanks for the volunteerism and the names. Unfortunately, I don't think I had the pleasure of knowing Mr. Grubbs but I am sorry to hear of the loss of such talent.

Others that are interested in forming a Project Team for a CWI UW endorsement should contact Jeff Hufsey (hufsey@aws.org) or myself (chapman@redcreek.net).

Happy New Year

Neal

By g32141

Date 01-26-2005 06:04

Why would you need an UW/CWI ticket?
The only reason for AWS to offer one would be to collect more cash.
A regular CWI ticket would be enough since visual inspection above and underwater a basicaly the same.
A good cert or training for divers would be T-K-Y UT inspection for people who already hold a ASNT or another recognized cert. NDT techs that know what they are doing that hold diving certs.

AWS doesn't have a very good rep with NDT inspectors ever since they started giving out certs to welders allowing them to read x-ray film. It is good for them to know but now they want to interpret their own film and argue everything if they fail the code.

I hope that the AWS is smart enough not to give UT certs to people who know how to calibrate a thickness meter.
There is no need for an UW/NDT ticket. If you can do it above water then you can do it below water. If you can't do it above water then you have no reason doing it underwater. Just because you have a dive hat does not make you a special person. A piece of paper from the AWS won't make you a better inspector U/W if you have no idea what you are doing.