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: The present invention comprises a moment resisting connection that comprises a column connection, a girder connection, and a field weld that couples the column connection to the girder connection. The column connection includes a column and a pair of column side plates in which each column side plate is coupled to the flanges of the column. The girder connection comprises a girder and a pair of girder side plates in which each girder side plate is operatively coupled to a doubler plate that is coupled to each girder flange. Alternatively, each girder side plate is joined to each girder flange. The field weld is performed by positioning the girder connection so that it may be welded to the column connection. The present invention also teaches a method comprising the steps of welding each column side plate to the flanges of the column. Additionally, the steps of fixedly coupling each girder side plate to the flanges of the girder is described.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a high deposition submerged arc welding system, comprising a gantry fixture, a weldhead, an operator control module and a modular control system. The gantry fixture is configured to receive a first plate and a second plate. The weldhead is operatively coupled to the gantry fixture and welds the first plate and second plate together with a metal powder, a welding wire and a flux. The operator control module is configured to receive a program for welding the first plate and the second plate together. The modular control system has a common bus which communicates the program to a plurality of control modules.