Welding is a key component of manufacturing and installing offshore portable accommodation modules and technical buildings. From the construction of the support structure to the final installation on site, welding is critical to ensuring a safe final product and safety during offshore maintenance calls. Because of welding’s importance in the offshore industry and industrial applications in general, a significant regulatory and certification process has built up around it. In this article, we will provide an overview of welding certifications in general and highlight the 6GR welding certification that most often applies to the portable accommodation modules and technical buildings Armoda manufactures and supplies to its customers.  

Welding Organization and Certification

Founded in 1919, the American Welding Society (AWS) is a nonprofit organization that works to “advance the science, technology, and application of welding and allied joining and cutting processes worldwide, including brazing, soldering, and thermal spraying.” AWS provides programs and instruction to achieve a range of certifications within the welding industry, including Certified Welder (CW), Certified Welding Inspector (CWI), Certified Resistance Welding Technician (CRWT), Certified Robotic Arc Welding (CRAW), and others.

What It Means to Be a Certified Welder

To gain certification, skilled welders complete a hands-on welding test that meets specific requirements. This test is overseen by a certified welding inspector who ensures that the welder and the machine can produce a quality weld up to the code while following the correct welding procedure. There is no single all-encompassing welding certification. When a welder passes their test and gains certification, it is only for the specific type of certification they tested for. So, depending on the project’s requirements, they may or may not be considered certified. If the welder has not completed certification for a specific type of weld required for a project, they would not be considered certified.

Specific Welding Certifications

Welding codes will vary depending on the type of work being done. Welding certifications cover various positions, depending on whether the welding involves plates or pipes. In the welding industry, plate welding is known as "structural welding," while welding on pipes retains the designation "pipe welding."

Plate Welding (Structural) 

Plate welding positions come in two joint types: fillet welds and groove welds. Most certifications focus on groove welds, as gaining certification will also qualify for fillet welds. If someone became certified in fillet welds, they would have to test again for groove welds to gain that certification. These joints are coded by letter:

• F = Fillet Weld
• G = Groove Weld

Both fillet and groove weld certifications will vary based on position. These positions are coded by number:

• 1 = Flat Position
• 2 = Horizontal Position
• 3 = Vertical Position
• 4 = Overhead Position

Using the numbers and letters, you can code the different variations of welds and position a certification covers. For example, a fillet weld in the overhead position would be 4F, and a groove weld in the horizontal position would be 2G. 

Pipe Welding 

Pipe welding, like plate welding, uses a number and lettering systems to denote the different types of welds that a person is certified in. It uses the same joint coding structure with:

• F = Fillet Weld 
• G = Groove Weld

Again, like plate welding, most people will be certified in groove welds because they will also qualify for fillet welds. 
Positions for pipe welding are:

• 1 = Horizontal Position, Rolled
• 2 = Fixed Vertical Position
• 5 = Fixed Horizontal Position
• 6 = 45-degree Fixed Position

For pipe welding these numbers and letters are combined to designate the different types of welds that someone is certified for. In addition, these position's pipe welding certifications can also have a restricted position added to it. This is designated with an R being added to the end. Testing for restricted pipe welding is the most challenging test for welders as they are forced to work in tight, confined spaces. This is done by placing the welder in unusual body positions, having obstacles that block access to the weld and having visual obstructions that require a mirror to view the area of work. So, a welder that has passed a groove weld on a pipe in a 45-degree fixed position with restrictions would be a 6GR welder. 

Armoda manufactures portable accommodation modules and technical buildings from the ground up. Each unit is built to meet the structural requirements of the appropriate governing body. Its fleet of portable accommodation modules is globally compliant, meeting the certification requirements for all the major governing bodies around the globe. To achieve the strict structural requirements of these governing bodies, Armoda units are built by certified welders who are 3G, 4G, and 6GR certified. By utilizing welders who are certified in these areas we can manufacture units to meet the strict structural requirements and ensure that they can meet the demands of the projects they are deployed to.  

Armoda’s units are utilized globally in the harshest environments. This makes welding a critical part of manufacturing portable accommodation modules and technical buildings. Utilizing certified welders ensures that the units will be structurally sound and ready to handle the demands of the projects and locations they are deployed to. To learn more about how Armoda’s modules and buildings are manufactured, read our article on How ABS Portable Accommodation Modules Get ABS Certified.