Expert skills and techniques are required for the welding engineering of steel framed buildings with a scope of wide ranging detail not seen among other types of welding. To meet such a requirement, the skills of the welding technicians working on steel framed building welding were examined at each fabricator or construction site by technical performance testing.

 AWCA was founded in order not only to unified the welding procedure testing but also to enhance labor-saving on construction supervision and reduce the expense burden of steel fabricators. The quality of welds cannot be assured solely through examination or testing, but is acquired during the work process, the whole of which is supported by the skill of the welding technicians. The quality of welds can be assured only when reliable welding skills are assured.

 The qualification by JIS is “a standard qualification applicable to all industries closely related to the welding technologies,”while that by AWCA is“a specific qualification for the welding of steel framed buildings.”
In accordance with this basic philosophy,AWCA operates to improve the quality and safety of steel framed buildings,to promote and improve welding technologies, and furthermore, to increase the valuation on the expert skills of welders for steel framed building welding.

■Particular characteristics of welding of steel framed building (in comparison to welding in shipbuilding or bridge construction)

(with steel tabs and with non-metal weld tabs)

[Requirements for Access to the Examinations]

The applicant engineer shall possess any of the following certifications :

1.  SA-2F / 3F or SN-2F / 3F of JIS Z 3841-1997
2.  Qualification test : shop welding performance with steel tabs of AWCA
3.  Other qualifications that AWCA accepts

[Description]

The description of the qualification tests is as specified in the following tables. Details are specified in the Guidebook for AW Qualification Test and Judgment Criteria : Shop Welding.

(with steel tabs and with non-metal weld tabs)

[Requirements for Access to the Examinations]

The applicant engineer shall possess any of the following certifications :

1.  SA-2H / 3H or SN-2H / 3H or SN-2P / 3P or SA-2P / 3P or SN-2P / 3P or SS-2H / 3H , SS-2P / 3P of JIS Z 3841-1997
2.  Qualification test : site welding performance with steel tabs of AWCA
3.  Other qualifications that AWCA accepts

[Description]

The description of the qualification tests are as specified in the following tables. Details are specified in the Guidebook for AW Qualification Test and Judgment Criteria : Shop Welding.

[Requirements for Access to the Examinations]

The applicant engineer shall possess any of the following certifications:

1.  A-2P / 3P or N-2P / 3P of JIS Z 3801-1997
2.  SA-2P / 3P or SN-2P / 3P of JIS Z 3841-1997
3.  Qualification test : steel pipe welding performance of AWCA
4.  Qualification test : shop welding performance with steel tabs of AWCA
5.  Qualification test : site welding performance with steel tabs of AWCA
6.  Other qualifications that AWCA accepts

[Description]

The description of the qualification tests are as specified in the Guidebook for AW Qualification Test and Judgment Criteria Steel Pipe Welding.

[Requirements for Access to the Examinations]

Robots to be used for the test shall be welding robots for building steel frames that are approved by the Japan Robot Association.

The applicant operator shall possess any of the following certifications :

1.  The certifications of robot operator for steel framed buiding welding of the Japan Welding Engineering Society.
2.  Qualification test : Operator's skill for robotic welding of AWCA

[Description]

The description of the qualification tests are as specified in the Guidebook for AW Qualification Test and Judgment Criteria : Operator's Skill for Robotic Welding.

Eastern Japan Secretariat　（）
Atom Kojimachi Tower 3F, 4-4-7 Kojimachi,
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-0083, Japan

Western Japan Secretariat　（）