The Week of February 11, 2018 — The Welders Torch

With the steel comes the welders, the helmeted goggle-wearing wielders of the stick from which the eye-blinding electric-blue and white arc emanates. 

Two welders with a fan between them, to clear the smoke from the arc, weld a girder before the decking is tacked and in place. Once secured the rebar can be laid on top of the decking, which reinforces the nine-inches of concrete poured on top.

Clad in their welding armor–flame-resistant leather capes, leather gloves, hard hats, helmets with safety glass, protective bibs, throat protectors, ear plugs, and respiratory protection–these two welders get close and personal with one of the large columns arc welding it to the column base. This process is very exacting as well as time-consuming.

A welder assesses his work as he stands on a small rigging platform or “float,” which provides a secure footing as he welds the corner of the girder and column.

A couple of floors below, welder “Baker,” using a compact “Jitterbug” (pneumatic chipping hammer), cleans slag that built up in the groove as he welds the two spline beams together in a beam-to-beam joint connection process. As the consumable electrode rod (stick) melts the base material, it fills the groove fusing the beams together thus adding more strength and stability to the structure.

“Baker” holds his pneumatic “Jitterbug” chipper.

After completing the vertical weld, “Baler” places a rack of post weld heat torches to keep the area at a constant heat temperature while his partner on the other side completes welding. After the weld is complete the job is allowed to cool. Notice the flame from the top burner. The area is covered in smoke, akin to a backyard barbecue, as the welder on the other side completes his section.

After two days of welding, both sides of the spline beam, “Baker” and his welding buddy, on the other side, begin to weld the bottom of the beam. It takes up to two weeks to weld all around the beam.

On Sunday, February 11, 2018, I made my way to the top level of the P4 parking structure where on level six one can get a panoramic view of the construction site, the campus and the valley and mountains beyond. Although the cranes were not operational, the welders were on site getting a head start on the work week ahead. One can see the steel skeleton rising out of the pit with the corrugated decking laid out on the girders. With another floor of steel, the building will be visible above the protective security fence. From that point, visitors to Loma Linda will be able to watch the construction progress in real time.

Night shot from the same location, four-days later.

The right place, the right time, and the perfect angle: “Ironman Tom” with his cheesy grin and reflective glasses.

Art, an ironworker, stands on top of a steel column seemingly oblivious to the distance to the floor of the pit.

Family ties: Art (center) is flanked by his two cousins, Allen (left) and Adam (right). What is that old saying? “A family that walks the steel beams together stays together.”