Revised bridge welding code published

The revised edition of the American Welding Society's "D1.5M/D1.5:2010 Bridge Welding Code" has been published. The new standard, known as AASHTO/AWS D1.5M/D1.5:2010, supersedes the 2008 edition.

Available for a fee, the 478-page book was undertaken in response to a need for a common welding specification for the fabrication of steel highway bridges by welding. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has routinely used the specifications of the AWS Structural Welding Committee, with appropriate modifications, to produce contract documents suitable for the construction of bridges using federal highway funds.

The proliferation of requirements by the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico — which together make up AASHTO — resulted in the need for a single document that could produce greater economies in bridge fabrication, while at the same time address the issues of structural integrity and public safety.

The code was prepared by the AASHTO/AWS Bridge Welding Committee operating as a subcommittee of the AWS Structural Welding Committee. The committee is made up of representatives from the AWS Structural Welding Committee and the AASHTO Technical Committee for Welding.