Field welding subcontractor in Orange County
Field welding is welding on the structure, in place, in whatever position the structure gives you. It is not the same job as welding on a bench. The steel is fixed, the joint is often overhead or vertical, the weather is whatever it is, and the weld has to be right the first time, because grinding a bad one out of a finished opening is a bad day for everybody.
The code an inspector checks against in California is AWS D1.1, the structural welding code. It sets the procedure, the electrode, the preheat, and what the finished weld has to look like. Complete penetration welds on moment connections usually get ultrasonic testing on top of a visual check. Fillet welds get measured with a gauge. None of that is a surprise when the work was done to the procedure in the first place.
We bring the machine. Stick and flux core cover most structural field work because they hold up in wind where MIG does not. Prep is part of the job: bevel, fit up, backing, preheat where the thickness calls for it, and cleaning between passes. And we schedule around the inspector rather than making them wait, which is the difference between a one visit inspection and a three visit one.
What that includes.
- Structural connections welded in place, any position
- Moment connections, splices, plates, and stiffeners
- Joint prep, fit up, backing, and preheat
- Welded to the procedure on the plans, to AWS D1.1
- Timed around the special inspector
- Touch up coating on completed welds
Questions we get on this one.
Do you have your own power?
Yes. Engine drive on the truck. No temp pole, no generator rental, no extension cord through a window.
Can you weld galvanized or painted steel?
Yes, with the coating ground back from the joint first. Welding through zinc makes a bad weld and worse fumes. We grind it clean, weld it, then re coat with a cold galvanizing compound.
What if my plans require a qualified welder?
Tell us up front, before the quote. Weld procedure and quality are our responsible managing employee's side of the job, he holds the C-51 the license runs on, and he is on site. We would rather confirm the requirement at the start than discover it at the inspection.
This is licensed work. OC Mobile Welding LLC holds CSLB C-51 #1157116, C-51 Structural Steel, current and active. Working out of San Clemente, CA.