Abstract: The invention is a consumable guide tube comprising a thin first elongated strip, a second elongated strip and a plurality of insulators. The thin first elongated strip has a front face and a back face and the front face has at least one longitudinal channel. The second elongated strip has a front face and a back face and the front face of the second elongated strip is configured to be coupled to the front face of the thin first elongated strip. The plurality of insulator modules are deposited on the back face of the thin first elongated strip and on the back face of the second elongated strip. Preferably, the thin first elongated strip is a low carbon cold rolled steel strip, and the second elongated strip is a low carbon hot rolled steel strip. The guide tube can also be configured to comprise two or more longitudinal channels.

Abstract: A system for butt welding expansion joint rails with an electroslag welding system. The electroslag welding system for butt welding the expansion joint rails comprises a control system. The method for butt welding the two expansion joint rails with the electroslag welding system comprises defining a weld cavity with a first expansion joint rail, a second expansion joint rail, a plurality of gland shoes, and a pair of butt shoes. The electroslag welding system can also be adapted to weld a expansion joint rail to a support beam. The method for welding the expansion joint rail to the support beam comprising placing the expansion joint rail on a horizontal axis, placing the support beam on a vertical axis and clamping a modular component system to the expansion joint rail.

Abstract: A modular welding system for performing quick, easy and high quality welds. The modular welding system comprises a basic component system and a modular fixture component system. The basic component system provides the basic components which are needed to perform a quality weld efficiently. The modular fixture component system interfaces with the basic component system and provides a particular welding fixture assembly that performs a particular type of weld. More particularly, a stiffener type modular fixture component system and a butt/tee type modular fixture system are described. However, any other particular fixture type system may be integrated with the basic component system of the present invention.