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Sponsors Shindaiwa http://www.shindaiwa.com.au/ South Pacific Welding Group http://www.spwgroup.com.au/home.asp Smenco http://www.smenco.com.au Thermadyne - Cigweld www.thermadyne.com.au SafeTac http://www.safetac.com.auBureau Veritas http://www.bureauveritas.com.auSouthern Cross Industrial Supplies http://www.scis.com.auTechnoweld http://www.technoweld.com.auHardface Technologys http://www.hardface.com.au3834 Weld Management weldtraining@iinet.net.au Cover Page NewTransmig200i&250iWeldingInvertersInNovember2011,CIGWELDreleasedtheTransmig200iandTransmig250isinglephaseMultiProcessInverterswithpowerfactorcorrection(PFC).Theseunitsarecapableofperformingthreeweldingprocessesfromtheoneunit,includingGMAW/FCAW(MIG),MMAW(Stick)andGTAW(LiftTIG).The200iand250iarepackedfulloffunctionalandsafetyfeaturessuitablefortheserioustradesperson/fabricatorwhoislookingforthetotalweldingpackageandvalueformoney. AWI operates this service for members. Information and comments in AWI publications are the opinions of specific individuals and companies, and may not reflect the position of AWI or its Directors. Information on procedures and processes herein, as well as any advice given, are not sanctioned by AWI, and AWI makes no representation or warranty as to their validity, nor is AWI liable for any injury or harm arising from such entries or from reliance on any entries. Participants should independently verify the validity of information prior to placing any reliance thereon.

Index Offshore Fabrication Thermadyne Latest Equipment The New AS1554.5: 2011 Explained MSA EBPPP Article Company Bio Williams Metal Fabrication SMENCO Latest Equipment AWI Progress Update

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ENGINEERING(ANDOTHER)CHALLENGESWITHOFFSHOREFABRICATION

INTRODUCTION

Offshoresteelworkfabricationpresentsmanychallenges,includingthetyrannyofdistance,variationincountrydesignandfabricationstandards,language(bothwrittenandverbal),culturaldifferences,contractandlegalimplicationsandofcoursebudget,scheduleandqualityoutcomes.

Thispaperexploresavarietyofissuesthatarelikelytobeencountered,bothofatechnicalandnontechnicalnature,whensteelworkfabricationisconductedinalocationotherthanwherethefinalproductwillbelocatedforuse.

ThemodernworldoffreetradeandminimisingtradebarriersisperceivedtobemadeverysimplebyPoliticianswiththereleaseofapolicy,allwiththebestintentionsofworkingtogetheracrossavarietyofborders.Therealityhoweverissomewhatdifferent,particularlywhentheindustriesaffectedbytheseparticularpoliciesaregovernedbylocalregulationsandbyextensiveinterrelatedtechnicalrequirements,alsoparticularandpossiblypeculiartothelocalenvironment.

Technicalrequirementsareoftengovernedbydozensofstandards,allofwhicharepotentiallylocalisedandmayevenbereferencedasmandatoryinstatutoryregulations.WhilsttheISOsuiteofstandardsisanattemptbysomepartsoftheworldstechnicalpopulationtocreateastandardisedplanet,thereisbynomeansasetofworldstandardsthatgoverneventhemostsimpleofstructures.

InfrastructureOwnersandtheirprojectpersonnelneedtodevelopstrategiesfortendering,bid/tenderevaluation,procurement,qualitycontrol,transport,delivery,erection,useandmaintenanceofstructuralsteelthataredifferentfromthoseconventionallyemployedwhendesign,materials,fabricationanderectionalloccurinthesamejurisdiction.

Thesestrategiesneedtoaddresseachphaseofprocurementanduse,includingthecorrelationbetweenthestandardsusedfordesign,fabricationanduse.

Thispaperwilldescribewhatmanywillconsiderobvious.However,theapplicationofmanagementstrategiestodealwiththeissues identified, including

theirinterrelationships,isgenerallyfarlessobvioustoseeinaction.

LOCALVERSUSOFFSHOREFABRICATION

LocalFabrication

Localfabricationcanbedescribedasthesituationwherethedesign,materials,fabrication,transport,erectionanduse,plusallthestandardsapplicabletothesephasesoftheprojectliewithintheonejurisdiction.

Thisgenerallyimpliesthatthetechnicalissuesassociatedwithstandardsdifferencesarerelativelyminor.Thenontechnicalissues,particularlythosetodowithlanguageandculture,alsomaynotbeofparticularimportancewithregardstomanagementandcontrol.

Localfabricationcanstillhavemanyoftheissuesraisedinthispaper.OffshoreFabrication

Offshorefabricationmayincludeavarietyofsituationswherethedesign,materials,locationoffabrication,constructionanderectionlocationandthefinaluselocationmayallbeindifferentjurisdictions.Thisinturncouldresultinawidevarietyofavailableorappliedstandards,regulations,expectationsandissuesacrossdifferentjurisdictions.

Thebelowtableprovidesasimplisticexampleofthevarietyofsituationsthatcouldbeexperiencedinthemodernworldoffreetrade,consideringthattheplaceofdesignanduseisthesame.

Table1VarietyofStandardsIssuespossibleforOffshorefabrication

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Theabovetableconsidersthatthelocationfordesignandthelocationforuseisthesame,yetresultsinfourdifferentpossiblescenarios.Ifthelocationofdesignorusechanges,anaddedmultipleofpossiblescenariosisnowpresent.

STRUCTURALRELIABILITY

Itisimportanttostartatabasepositionofstructuralreliability,beforeindependentconsiderationofmanyoftheindividualfactorsthatcanaffectoverallreliability.Thisisaptly

describedinISO2394Generalprinciplesonreliabilityofstructures[1]:

Itisimportanttorecognizethatstructuralreliabilityisanoverallconceptcomprisingmodelsfordescribingactions,designrules,reliabilityelements,structuralresponseandresistance,workmanship,qualitycontrolproceduresandnationalrequirements,allofwhicharemutuallydependent.Themodificationofonefactorinisolationcouldthereforedisturbthebalanceofreliabilityinherentintheoverallconcept

Thealignmentofwhatoccursinanyworkshop(eitherlocaloroffshore)totheoriginaldesignrequirementsanddesignintentionsisofvitalimportance.

Withregardstofabricationandwelding,ISO3834Qualityrequirementsforfusionweldingofmetallicmaterials[2]states:

Forproductstobefreefromseriousproblemsinproductionandinservice,itisnecessarytoprovidecontrols,fromthedesignphase,throughmaterialselection,intomanufactureandsubsequentinspection.Forexample,poordesignmaycreateseriousandcostlydifficultiesintheworkshop,onsite,orinservice.Incorrectmaterialselectionmayresultinproblems,suchascrackinginweldedjoints.

Toensuresoundandeffectivemanufacturing,managementneedstounderstandandappreciatethesourcesofpotentialtroubleandtoimplementappropriateproceduresfortheircontrol.

CHALLENGESTOBEMANAGED

TechnicalChallenges

Technicalchallengescanbedescribedastopicsspecifictothespecificationandproductionoftheendproduct.

BasisofDesign

Thebasisofdesignisthemostcommonlyoverlookedprinciplewhenundertakingprocurementworksinalocationotherthanwherethedesignwascarriedout.Thebasisfordesignistheplatformfromwhichalldecisionsshouldbemade.Thismay(andmostprobablyshould)requireaccesstotheDesignerand/ortheircalculations.TheabilityofDesignEngineerstobeabletoassesstheirexistingdesignagainstdifferentstandardsisakeycapabilitythatwillberequiredinthefuture.

DocumentedDesign

Thedocumenteddesignisthecompilationofthedrawings,theSpecificationsandtheirreferencedstandardsthatdescribetheendproductandhowtheDesignerintendedtoachievethatendproduct.

Thesedocumentsneedtobeclearontherequirementsofthedesign,thestandardsapplicabletotheworksanddescribehowsubstitutionsofmaterials,standardsandprocessesfromthatspecifiedwillbemanaged.

Thedocumenteddesignisrequiredtobecompliedwith,asdeviationfromthatprescriptionimpliesanoncompliantproduct,unlessauthorised.

Further,allpersonnelinvolvedwiththeprojectfabrication,includingtheDesignerneedtohaveanintimateunderstandingofthespecificationsandstandardsapplicable.Thisincludesreadingthem,asitisimpossibletoknowwhatisinadocumentwithoutactuallyreadingit.

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SpecificationsandStandards

InanAustraliancontext,thedesignofstructuralsteelworkisgenerallyaddressedbytheuseofAS4100Steelstructures[3].

Thisstandardmakesreferencetoawidevarietyofstandards,whichalsorefertosubsequentstandardsforexecutionoftheworks.Figure1illustratestherelationshipsbetweenstandardsthatarereferenceddirectlybyAS4100orsubsequentlyviathestandardsthatAS4100refersto.

Substitutionofstandardsmayneedtobeassessednotonlyformaterials,butalsowelding,inspection(includingNDT)andacceptancecriteria.

ThemajorityofweldingstandardsaroundtheworldhaveanoriginfromeitherEuropeorAmerica.Ingeneraltheyaresimilarwithdifferentdetailrequirements.Therefore,whileitmaybenecessarytoassesssomeofthosedetaildifferences,itismoreimportantthatthestandardtowhichtheworkshopwishestoworkisarecognisedstandardandthattheworkshopactuallyusesiteffectively.Impositionofanunfamiliarstandarduponaworkshopcancausemoreproblemsthatitwillsolve.

Thepieceofsteelortheweldmentdoesnotknowwhatstandarditisbeingmanufacturedto.

TheinvolvementoftheDesignEngineermayalsoberequired(includingapprovalofuseofanalternativestandard).ThechoiceofweldingstandardcanalsoaffectthemethodsandacceptancecriteriaforNDT.Thereisasignificantleveloflinkingofnumerousstandards,overmanyfields.Materials

Steelmaterialsaremanufacturedtoanenormousnumberofworldwidestandards.IntheAustralianandAsianregions,thesecouldincludeAustralianStandards,suchasAS3678[4],AS3679[5]andAS1163[6],EuronormStandardssuchasEN10025[7]andEN10219[8],ChineseStandardssuchasGB/T1591[9],GB700[10]andGB/T8162[11],orAmericanStandardsASTMA36[12],A572[13]orA500[14].BS,JISorDINstandardsmaterialsmayalsobeavailableaswell.

Someofthesestandardswillcoverdimensionsonly,somewillcovermaterialpropertiesonly,andsomewillcoverboth.

Figure1AustralianStandardsRelationships

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InanAustraliancontext,akeydifferen