Ceramic Backer Bars on Full Pen Welds
Ceramic Backer Bars on Full Pen Welds
(OP)
Does anyone know of a good reference I could use to become more familiar with using ceramic backer bars in full pen welds in beam to column moment connections in seismic "zone 2" or Av=0.12?





RE: Ceramic Backer Bars on Full Pen Welds
Another good source is the American Welding Society (also on the net). AWS D1.1 permits the use of ceramic backing material but does not discuss its use or mis-use.
RE: Ceramic Backer Bars on Full Pen Welds
How seriously I would take these requirements in zone 2 would depend on what type of frame I was designing. If I were using the R value for a SMRF, I'd feel pretty strongly that I should adhere closely to the FEMA Guidelines. If I didn't, the building might not be able to sustain the degree of non-linear behavior assumed by my design.