Industry Standards for Passenger Transit, Rail Vehicle Specifications

Materials & Workmanship


Welding

AWS welding specifications and standards are normally used on rail vehicles manufactured in North America. Even if the vehicles are intended to be manufactured in other locations, the AWS standards and specifications are used to provide a basis for comparison to those standards provided from other countries.

Additional standards are also listed to further cover areas where additional detail is required, or where specific methods are desired. The following standards listed here are the most commonly reference standards used in passenger rail vehicle fabrication.

Standard: AWS-D1.1 - Structural Welding Code - Steel
Purpose:

AWS D1.1 contains weld specifications for welding of steel structures. The following is an excerpt from the introduction and scope of AWS D1.1:

This code contains the requirements for fabricating and erecting welded steel structures. When this code is stipulated in contract documents, conformance with all provisions of the code shall be required, except for those provisions that the Engineer (see 1.4.1) or contract documents specifically modifies or exempts. The following is a summary of the code sections:

1. General Requirements. This section contains basic information on the scope and limitations of the code.
2. Design of Welded Connections. This section contains requirements for the design of welded connections composed of tubular, or nontubular, product form members.
3. Prequalification. This section contains the requirements for exempting a WPS (Welding Procedure Specification) from the qualification requirements of this code.
4. Qualification. This section contains the qualification requirements for WPSs and welding personnel (welders, welding operators and tack welders) necessary to perform code work.
5. Fabrication. This section contains the requirements for the preparation, assembly and workmanship of welded steel structures.
6. Inspection. This section contains criteria for the qualifications and responsibilities of inspectors, acceptance criteria for production welds, and standard procedures for performing visual inspection and NDT (nondestructive testing).
7. Stud Welding. This section contains the requirement for the welding of studs to structural steel.
8. Strengthening and Repair of Existing Structures. This section contains basic information pertinent to the welded modification or repair of existing steel structures.

Criteria: Specify welding practice according to standard
Usage: Welding shall be according to AWS D1.1
Standard: AWS-D1.2 - Structural Welding Code - Aluminum
Purpose:

This code covers the welding requirements for any type structure made from aluminum structural alloys, except for aluminum pressure vessels and fluid-carrying pipe lines. Sections 1 through 7 are similar to AWS D1.1, but cover the rules for the regulation of welding in aluminum construction.

1. General Requirements.
2. Design of Welded Connections
3. Qualification.
4. Fabrication.
5. Inspection.
6. Stud Welding.
7. Strengthening and Repair of Existing Structures.

Criteria: Specify welding practice according to standard
Usage: Welding shall be according to AWS D1.2
Standard: AWS-D1.3 - Structural Welding Code - Sheet Steel
Purpose:

This code covers the requirements associated with welding sheet steel having a minimum specified yield point no greater than 80,000 psi (550 MPa). The code requirements cover any welded joint made from the commonly used structural quality low-carbon hot rolled and cold rolled sheet and strip steel with or without zinc coating (galvanized).

1. General Provisions
2. Design of Welded Connections
3. Prequalification
4. Qualification
5. Fabrication
6. Inspection
7. Stud Welding

Criteria: Specify welding practice according to standard
Usage: Welding shall be according to AWS D1.3
Standard: AWS D1.6 - Structural Welding Code - Stainless Steel
Purpose:

This code covers the requirements for welding stainless steel components other than pressure vessels or pressure piping. This standard is essentially a AWS D1.1 equivalent written for stainless steel..

1. General Provisions
2. Design of Welded Connections
3. Prequalification
4. Qualification
5. Fabrication
6. Inspection
7. Stud Welding

Criteria: Specify welding practice according to standard
Usage: Welding shall be according to AWS Handbook
Standard: AWS D15.1 - Railroad Welding Specification - Cars and Locomotives.
Purpose: This specification covers the minimum welding requirements applicable to welded structures used in the railroad industry. It is not intended to apply to tank car tanks, or to the welding of rails. Recommended practices for welding railroad rails and related components are included in D15.2. This specification also supports the applicable AAR and CFR regulations.
Criteria: Specify welding practice according to standard
Usage: Welding shall be according to AWS D15.1
Standard: AWS A5.0 - Filler Metal Procurement Guidelines
Purpose: AWS A5.01 provides a uniform method for the specifying of procurement information for welding filled materials to meet AWS specifications. This specification covers welding filler metal types, composition, testing, inspection requirements, alloy and flux identification, etc. this document is intended to be used along with other AWS specifications and standards.
Criteria: Specify welding filler metal selection according to standard
Usage: Welding filler metal shall be according to AWS A5.0
Standard: AWS C1.1 - Welding Resistance - Recommended Practices
Purpose: AWS C1.1 is a collection of data and procedures intended to assist the user in setting up resistance welding equipment to produce resistance welded production parts. A wide variety of welding methods are discussed (resistance spot and seam, projection, flash, upset, etc.) as well as most commonly available materials. Details and guidelines are provided for each type.
Criteria: Specify welding practice according to standard
Usage: Welding shall be according to AWS C1.1
Standard: SAE AMS W 6858 - Welding, Resistance: Spot and Seam
Purpose: This specification covers requirements for resistance spot and seam welding of the following metals and their alloys: Group 1 - Aluminum and magnesium Group 2 - Iron, nickel, and cobalt Group 3 - Titanium
Criteria: Specify compliance with standard
Usage: Resistance welding shall be in accordance with SAE-AMS-W-6858
Standard: ASTM A488 - Standard Practice for Steel Castings, Welding, Qualifications of Procedures and Personnel
Purpose: This practice establishes the qualification of procedures, welders, and operators for the fabrication and repair of steel castings by electric arc welding.
Criteria: Specify compliance with standard
Usage: ... welders welding on steel castings shall be qualified according to ASTM A488
Standard: ASTM B828 - Standard Practice for Making Capillary Joints by Soldering of Copper and Copper Alloy Tube and Fittings
Purpose: This practice describes a procedure for making capillary joints by soldering of copper and copper alloy tube and fittings.
Criteria: Specify compliance with standard
Usage: ... soldering of copper tubing shall be according to ASTM B828