Ironworker Foundation

Ironworkers work in an environment that is constantly changing through various stages of construction and, on occasion, the environment is unpredictable. A culture of safety is inherent to all activities an ironworker engages in and is an essential priority. Workplace hazards can be attributed to human, environmental, and equipment factors. It is imperative that you develop the ability to foresee jobsite hazards to control or mitigate the possibility of injury to yourself or your fellow workers. At the end of IWKR 1200, you will be able to work safely in a changing work environment, and reference and apply environmental and workplace safety regulations and guidelines, including those from Work Safe BC and the Workplace Hazardous Material Information System/Globally Harmonized System (WHMIS/GHS). Major topics include fire extinguisher safety, fall protection/working at heights, confined space awareness, and occupational first aid level 1 training. You will be able to identify, communicate, and mitigate changing workplace hazards through toolbox talks, tailgate meetings, and a job hazard analysis.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

As an ironworker, you are required to solve problems on a daily basis through isolating the important variables, and formulating a plan based on what is given and what can be found. You will use mathematics in a variety of situations on the jobsite. From the beginning of the job, layout is required to ensure the building will be constructed to the planned dimensions within the planned location. As construction proceeds, you will inevitably be working with cranes to rig and position material. You will calculate weight to ensure the material is rigged safely and the crane has the capacity to lift it. You will sometimes need mathematics when you use tools, fabricate material, and ensure quality control of installed materials. In IWKR 1201, you will learn about metric and imperial units of measurement, fractions, decimals, ratio, proportion, perimeter, area, and volume, and how to calculate weights of various objects. These mathematical skills will enable you to problem solve on the job.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

On the job, construction requirements are communicated through blueprints, drawings, and sketches. As an ironworker, you are required to interpret lines, symbols, scales, views, and abbreviations to develop a plan for construction based on what you were given. You may need to draft blueprints, drawings, or sketches to convey information to another party as jobsite conditions change. During IWKR 1202, you will communicate through a formalized written process, and create a portfolio of your work using lines, symbols, scales, abbreviations, and the rules of blueprint drafting.
Prerequisite(s):

• IWKR 1201

Blueprints formally communicate to ironworkers important information that is required to get the job done. Construction requirements, as well as changes to requirements made by engineers during construction, are communicated through blueprints. Different forms of blueprints are used to provide specific information or procedures for a variety of situations such as lift plans, erection plans, temporary support plans, or fall protection plans. Understandably, you need to be proficient at reading, referencing, and managing information presented on various blueprints encountered within a workday to safely and effectively plan and execute work. By the end of IWKR 1203, you will be able to manage information from a blueprint to fabricate and install construction materials for a project.
Prerequisite(s):

• IWKR 1201 and IWKR 1202

Ironworkers use a variety of tools to help them complete the activities of their craft. These include power tools, hand tools, as well as measurement and layout tools. Ironworkers also employ the use of numerous pieces of mobile equipment to access work locations and handle material on a worksite. The tool belt and hand tools used by ironworkers are specific to the trade and many are specific to the tasks performed by the ironworker, whether it be a frog and spud wrenches or tie wire in a tie wire reel. Abrasive cutting and grinding tools, such as electric grinders and gas powered cut off abrasive saws, will be used for fabrication and revision work. Optical levels, laser levels, string lines, and plumb lines will be used to accurately layout and measure materials in jobsite applications. Rough terrain forklifts may be used to move or stage materials. Aerial boom lifts, aerial work platforms, and other methods of access/egress will be used to get into and out of work locations safely and efficiently. Revision work and seismic upgrading will often require the ironworker to create anchorages in the existing concrete structure, this will require the use of concrete drilling and anchoring equipment. To maximize safety and productivity, you must be proficient in using every tool and piece of equipment needed to do the job.
Prerequisite(s):

• IWKR 1200 and IWKR 1201

When you receive materials at the site, the materials often need field modifications to be installed correctly. This could be due to incorrect fabrication in the shop, or a revision made in the field and the material needs to be re-fabricated because of the change. Regardless, the material has to be made to fit. To do this, you may need to cut the piece or gouge the welded material. This course will provide you with the skills to cut and gouge steel. Commonly you will be working with oxy-fuel as it can be used to cut and gouge carbon steels efficiently and precisely. In addition to the oxy-fuel process you will focus on working techniques for other metal-cutting processes, including Air Arc Cutting (AAC) and Plasma Arc Cutting (PAC).
Prerequisite(s):

• IWKR 1200 and IWKR 1201 and IWKR 1204

Arc welding is the process of fusing pieces of metal together. Sometimes, you will need to arc weld on site to fabricate what is specified to enable construction to progress. To be able to weld safely and to correctly fuse the material, you need to apply the Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) and Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) processes. Safety considerations incorporating the welding process and site conditions around the work area are imperative. It is essential for you to be able to maintain and operate all the equipment used in the welding process. Regular maintenance is a simple and effective way to contribute to a safe, effective work environment. You will develop the working technique to perform single pass and multi-pass fillet and groove weldments in the flat and horizontal positions using the SMAW process. All of this work will be in alignment to the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB) standards.
Prerequisite(s):

• IWKR 1200 and IWKR 1201 and IWKR 1204 and IWKR 1205

Ironworkers work with large materials on a daily basis, most of which are too large to move by hand and require the use of various types of rigging, hoisting, and lifting systems. Consequently, you need to learn how to employ systems involving fibre or wire rope, either prepared for connection to a crane or reeved through blocks and sheaves. You also need to work with auxiliary hoisting equipment such as tugger winches, hand winches, chain hoists, or come-a-longs. Sometimes, it is more efficient to use mechanical moving equipment, such as jacks, and rollers. No matter the size of the object or material to be moved, with the correct equipment, knowledge, and planning you will learn how to put it in the correct place. In IWKR 1207, you will problem solve material handling scenarios to position construction materials. You will also calculate forces and determine matching rigging capacities, while maintaining best practices for load control, inspection, care, and maintenance of rigging.
Prerequisite(s):

• IWKR 1200 and IWKR 1201 and IWKR 1202 and IWKR 1203 and IWKR 1204

Cranes are utilized by ironworkers to position construction materials for installation or staging purposes. Many of the materials that you will work with are too large to be moved by hand; cranes do the heavy lifting. Cranes make the job of ironworkers easier but come with a large risk. Heavy objects are lifted by an even larger piece of machinery that has many moving parts. To ensure the lift is safe and poses no threat to those involved or in close proximity, you need to be familiar with types of cranes and crane components, travel and setup procedures, communication procedures, and safe lifting procedures. Knowledge of the types of cranes and the components that make a crane is essential to ensure that the machinery is working as a manufacturer has designed it. Procedures for moving cranes on site, setting up various types of cranes, and identifying the hazards involved are the foundation of safe crane operation. Communication procedures, whether they are visual, audible, or a written plan, help to ensure that the crane operator and all ironworkers involved are “speaking the same language”. Identification of the load weight, crane radius, boom angle, pick and placement of material, and safe lifting procedures are vital pieces information you need to ensure the crane is capable of doing the job safely. In IWKR 1208, you will collaborate with a team of ironworkers and a crane operator to plan, communicate, setup, and utilize a crane to hoist materials during a simulated construction project.
Prerequisite(s):

• IWKR 1200 and IWKR 1201 and IWKR 1202 and IWKR 1203 and IWKR 1204 and IWKR 1207 and IWKR 1209

Ironworkers use blueprints and field measurements to establish the location of building materials and working points within tolerance. You need to be familiar with the layout practices for all sectors of your craft including: fabrication, structural steel erection, reinforcing steel, pre-stressed systems, and machinery to establish new and existing locations. Basic layout and measurement tools, such as tape measures, string lines, levels, and plumb lines, have enough accuracy for many situations. However, more precise layout tools, such as optical levels and laser levels, may be required for the accuracy needed over an increased scale. In IWKR 1209, you will verify elevations and locations of new and existing construction materials and equipment by setting up and using various layout tools.
Prerequisite(s):

• IWKR 1200 and IWKR 1201 and IWKR 1202 and IWKR 1203 and IWKR 1204

Structural members form the framework for single and multi-level buildings, towers, wind turbines, stadiums, and bridges. Structural steel erection involves working at heights with a crane or other hoisting equipment to assemble structural members. Once steel is placed, you must know how to plumb, align, and fasten it into its final position in the structure. Industrial maintenance may require the removal of structural steel to facilitate access for the removal of old equipment and the installation of upgraded systems. Assembly and disassembly of structural members are the highest risk operations in the construction industry. Consequently, you are required to recognize the inherent risks involved. By comprehending the principles of skeletal construction, the physical properties of common materials, forces imposed upon structural members, methods of controlling those forces, and purpose of each structural member or fastener, you will have the knowledge base for safe and effective erection. You will need to develop and implement plans and procedures to guide the erection process and help foresee potential hazards. During IWKR 1210, you will take on the various roles required to safely and productively erect a steel structure. You will collaborate as a team to plan, communicate, setup, and construct a simulated structural steel project.
Prerequisite(s):

• IWKR 1200 and IWKR 1201 and IWKR 1202 and IWKR 1203 and IWKR 1204 and IWKR 1205 and IWKR 1206 and IWKR 1207 and IWKR 1208 and IWKR 1209

Ironworkers install reinforcing steel, which is an integral part of all concrete construction. Reinforcing steel acts as a skeleton to enable concrete to resist greater forces. You are responsible for daily duties on a reinforcing job. These duties include lifting and carrying material, securing or “tying” the reinforcing, working with cranes or other machinery to place or stage material, working at heights, cutting material, and creating layouts for construction. Reinforcing requirements will change depending on the type of structure being built and the forces that will be placed on the concrete. For this reason, you need to be able to identify forces imposed on concrete, determine where the forces will manifest within a structure, and factor in properties of reinforcing systems. Since, construction is an ever-changing environment and the materials received can be incorrect by dimension or quantity, you will need to fabricate reinforcing materials to account for quantity errors, dimension errors, or changes in requirements, and record the correct dimensions or quantity to communicate this information to others. During IWKR 1211, you will collaborate with a team of ironworkers and a crane operator to plan, communicate, setup, and construct a simulated reinforced concrete project.
Prerequisite(s):

• IWKR 1200 and IWKR 1201 and IWKR 1202 and IWKR 1203 and IWKR 1204 and IWKR 1205 and IWKR 1207 and IWKR 1208 and IWKR 1209

Ironworkers are involved in many facets of pre-stressed construction including the installation of pre-cast members, post-tensioning systems for concrete reinforcing, and suspension cables for bridges. Pre-stressed construction has many advantages over other construction methods but comes with inherent risks that you must be aware of. No matter what form of pre-stressed construction, it is critical during installation to maintain the proper sequence and procedure. Consequently, you need to fully understand each system of pre-stressed construction, the members each system is used to construct, and the specifications and standards that apply to pre-stressing construction. Furthermore, you need to properly sequence the procedure for installing anchorages, tendons, and supports. Prior to tensioning any tendons, you are required to verify the setup and accuracy of stressing equipment (gauges, calibrations) as well you will prepare a stressing record which records that you have stressed tendons in the correct sequence, to the required gauge pressure and tendon elongation. In addition to the installation, preparation, and stressing tasks; finishing will require you to perform the cutting and capping procedures to ensure the project is completed to the specification required by the design. In IWKR 1212, you will collaborate with a team of ironworkers to plan, communicate, setup, and construct a simulated post-tensioned project.
Prerequisite(s):

• IWKR 1200 and IWKR 1201 and IWKR 1202 and IWKR 1203 and IWKR 1204 and IWKR 1205 and IWKR 1207 and IWKR 1208 and IWKR 1209 and IWKR 1211