Writing Engineering Standards Is it worth the effort ? Hugh Krentz, P.Eng.

Writing Engineering Standards

Is it worth the effort ?

Hugh Krentz, P.Eng

Where do standards come from?

CESA Canadian Engineering Standards Association (1919)

1920 Specification for Steel Railway Bridges

1927 Canadian Electrical Code

1944 CESA becomes CSA

Where do standards come from?

World Trade Organization --- WTO----1995

- Canada founding member

- Global rules of trade

- Internationally acceptable standards

3 international standards organizations

• ISO - International Organization for Standardization

• IEC - International Electrotechnical Commission

• ITU - International Telecommunications Union

• ISO – 112 members - Standards Council of Canada (SCC) - Canadian member • ISO Guides for writing Standards

ISO – International Organization For Standardization

• ISO Guides SCC Policy Documents

SCC accredits SDO’s

Canadian Standards Association (CSA)

CSA - Policies and Procedures

CSA Policies and Procedures

1. consensus process2. balanced committee matrix3. no category dominates vote4. Public Review before approval5. resolution of negative votes6. revise or re-affirm every 5 years

Benefit of Engineering Standards

CSA S6 Bridge Design Standard

Economic Evaluations

• German study• UK study– showed value of standards

• Canada– SCC retained Conference Board of Canada– economic study and interviews in 2006

Conference Board Study

• Canada during period 1981 to 2004

• Standardization accounted for:

– 17 % growth rate in labour productivity

– 9% growth rate of real output (GDP)

In 2004:

Economic output would have been

$62 billion lower

if there had been no growth in standards during 1981 -2004

Conference Board Study

Company interviews benefits from standards

1. improved health and safety2. improved productivity—reduced costs3. improved credibility and quality4. innovation, research and development5. facilitated trade

Conference Board Study

Conference Board Study

Proved benefits to Canadian society and industry

National Building Code of Canada

• Objective based Model Building Code

- can be adopted by Provincial Governments

- references CSA Standard S16 for Steel Structures

- S16 references CSA G40.21 and CSA W47.1

CSA Standard S16Steel Structures for Buildings

• 1964 Laurie Kennedy - member of committeeHugh Krentz – Technical Secretary

• 1965 working stress design standard

• 1968 Laurie Kennedy - Chairman• 1969 working stress design standard• 1974 limit states design standard

Why Limit States Design???

Structural Engineers– more uniform margin of safety– increase margin of safety• for critical portions of a structure• for different types of structures

• e.g. large structures

• dead load - predictable- lower margin of safety

• live load - less predictable– higher margin of safety

Why Limit States Design???

Industry - more economical structures

• Canada leader - limit states design

ISO/TC/167 - international standard for design and fabrication of steel structures

(design portion - large Canadian influence)

International Recognition

Structural Steel Material

Why have a Canadian Standard ?

• Canada open market• buy steel from U.S.A., U.K., Luxembourg, Germany,

Japan, South Korea, and others

Why have a Canadian Standard ?

• cold climate – need “notch tough” steel

• fabrication– need weldable steel

• design– easy to select suitable steel

Structural Steel Material

CSA Standard G40.21-1973Structural Quality Steel

• types of structural steel– weldable, notch tough, quenched and tempered,atmospheric corrosion resistant

• eight yield strength levels– 260 MPa to 700 MPa (38,000 psi to 100,000 psi)

• easy to use standard with tables

• Notch tough steel - important for bridges and exposed structures

CSA Standard G40.21-1973Structural Quality Steel

• Two tables in standard:- five standard impact test

temperatures- required impact

resistance for 12 steel grades

Benefits of G40.21-09 Standard

• Engineers choice of steels, easy to use standard

• Industry more economical structures

• Society safer structures, more economical

I want safe structures-----to climb on

How a standard helped change an industry

• CSA Standard W47—1947

• Welding Qualification Code For Application To Fabricating And Contracting Firms Their Welding Personnel And Equipment

How a standard helped change an industry

• Today CSA Standard W47.1-09

• Certification of companies for fusion welding of steel

• sixth version of the standard– recently updated– to be re-affirmed in 2014

Quebec Bridge

World’s longest cantilever suspended span truss bridge (1917)

66500 tons of riveted steel

Goodbye rivets

• Canadian Welding Bureau -1947

• develop confidence in the safety and efficiency of welding

• educate engineers and train welding personnel

Pierre Laporte Bridge

Suspension Bridge (1970)23837 tons (36% of weight of Quebec Bridge)

W47-1947 Contents

• personnel and facilities• preparation of welding standards• preparation and testing of welding procedures• welding supervisor knowledge and experience• testing of welders• two divisions of certification (welding engineers)

W47.1-09 contents

• similar to W47, but ………. MORE– more comprehensive– more welding processes– more testing– steel decking included– three divisions of certification (welding engineers)

Important Points

• certification to W47.1 standard is mandatory for companies fabricating structural steel for erection in Canada (half of total certified companies)

• other half of the certified companies voluntarily asked to be certified because the standard helps companies improve welding operations

Riveted trusses yesterday

Welded trusses today

Writing engineering standardsIS worth the effort

Benefits

• Canadian society

• Engineering profession

• Industry

Writing engineering standardsIS worth the effort

Benefits

• Personal

• many good friends• gained engineering knowledge• work with many different types of people• and I helped to ……….

Make the world a better place

Do you have any questions ?