Module Two

Documents Governing Welding Inspection

And Quality of Materials
In order to perform the job of welding inspection, an inspector requires a great deal of
information and guidance. Although similar in many respects, every job could have
specific requirements which make it somewhat unique. The simple statement good
weld is not sufficient information for someone to adequately judge the weld quality.
The conditions of the various materials utili!ed for welded structures will also affect the
overall quality of that structure. "ven an e#perienced welding inspector cannot be
e#pected to evaluate the quality of a welded structure without some information from
the designer as to how good the welding is required to be. The inspector also needs to
know when and how the welding will be evaluated.
To satisfy this need, there are numerous documents available to the welding inspector
which state what, when, where, and how the inspection is to be performed. They e#ist
in various forms depending upon the specific application. $ome of the documents
which the welding inspector may use include; drawings, codes, standards, and
specifications !o" contract documents may also convey additional information
such as which of the above documents will be used for what job. In the case of where
more than one of the above e#ist, they are intended to be used in conjunction with each
other. %owever, some job specifications may include requirements which supplement
or alter portions of the governing code or standard.
&ith any of these documents, it is essential for the welding inspector to have an
opportunity to study them prior to the start of the #o" The pre$welding effort will
provide the welding inspector with important information a"out the upcoming
inspection $ome of the information that can be gained from this e#ercise includes'
%art si&e and geometry
'ase and filler metals to "e used
(e)uirements for hold points
%rocessing details
%rocesses to "e used
*pecification of nondestructive testing
+,tent of inspection
Acceptance - re#ection criteria
Qualification re)uirements for personnel
(
%rocedure and welder )ualifications
The drawings will descri"e the part or structure in graphic detail. This gives the
welding inspector some idea of the si!e and configuration. Ti will also help him
understand how the component will actually be assembled and what problems could
arise during fabrication. )imensions and tolerances should also be noted The welding
inspector is particularly interested in the weld details, including. locations, lengths
and si&es of welds; #oint configurations; material call outs; specification of
nondestructive testing; and special processing re)uirements *ome materials
re)uire special techni)ues such as preheating, so the welding inspector should "e
aware of this prior to the start of any welding
*ome of the applica"le documents might also dictate /hold points0 during the
fabrication process. These are specific, prearranged steps in the fa"rication process
when the inspector must "e present. At that time, he will make an interim
e#amination of the progress or perform some specific inspection operation. *nly after
he has approved the work, which is completed, can the fabrication continue. The
welding inspector may be required to choose when those hold points are to occur or
they might be outlined in the job specifications.
%rocessing details should also "e noted somewhere. $uch things as the specification
of a certain amount of camber in a girder or the use of a paint, which requires special
weld finishing, are e#amples of features, which will necessitate additional attention of
the welding inspector. When such details are specified, the welding inspector should
"e aware so that he can monitor the operation and review the results. The
specification of the welding process for a particular job is an e#ample of a processing
detail of which the inspector should be aware. If he knows the welding process and
material to be used, he can predict what problems may occur and what methods could
be applied to prevent their occurrence. +rior to welding the welding inspector should
review welding procedures to assure that all combinations of material, thickness,
process, and position are adequately covered. These procedures will also tell him
what important aspects of the welding operation could "e monitored to aid in the
achievement of a satisfactory weld
Another e#ample of a processing detail which might be included in the job
specifications is the requirement for nondestructive testing of a finished weld When
nondestructive testing is specified, that re)uirement must "e accompanied "y
additional information, including. method to "e used, test procedure, location and
e,tent of testing, and the acceptance - re#ection criteria which applies The
specification documents should provide the inspector with a detailed description of the
,
necessary visual inspection requirements as well. The e#tent of visual inspection and
statements regarding the quality requirements, including the specific acceptance -
rejection criteria. The welding inspector cannon perform his #o" ade)uately if he is
not provided with acceptance - re#ection criteria
*ne final aspect of this information relates to the qualifications of the personnel who
will perform the specified work. There may be specific requirements for qualified
people in the areas of welding, visual inspection and nondestructive testing. The
welding inspector may be actively involved in the review of welder certifications or
even the actual qualification testing, so he should be aware of the requirements for this
qualification. $ome contracts require certain levels of qualification for persons
performing visual weld inspection and nondestructive testing. If such a requirement
e#ists, there must be documentation showing evidence of the proper levels of
qualification for each individual performing these inspections.
It should be evident that there is a wealth of information provided in the various types
of documents, but they must be made available to the welding inspector in time for him
to perform an effective inspection. An e#perienced inspector identify possible trouble
spots and locate details which might make assembly difficult. This preliminary step of
the fabrication process is too often taken lightly.
$o far, our discussion has been limited to a general treatment of the types of information
contained in the various documents governing weld quality. &e will now begin to
describe the various types in more detail. "ven though we will talk about three basic
types .codes, standards, and specifications/, that does not imply that these are the only
documents with which welding inspectors must be concerned.
An important attribute of the welding inspector is that he is knowledgeable in the
particular documents being used for a job. This does not imply that he must memori!e
the contents of each one. %e should be familiar enough with the documents to be able
to locate appropriate information when needed. 0ention will be made in the following
discussion of several documents with areas of concern to the welding inspector. These
documents may have additional information which could prove helpful in e#plaining
certain conditions, or provide answers to questions in various general areas.
1odes
'y definition, a code is /a "ody of laws, as of a nation, city, etc, arranged
systematically for easy reference0 &hen a structure is built within the jurisdiction of
a city or state, it often just comply with certain building codes. $ince a code consists
of laws having legal status, it will always "e considered mandatory Therefore, we
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will see te#t containing the words /shall0 and /will0 A specific code includes certain
conditions and requirements for the item in question. 2uite often it will include
descriptions of methods to determine of those conditions and requirements have
actually been achieved. The welding inspector will often inspect work in accordance
with some code. There are several organi!ations which have developed codes for
various areas of concern, including A&$ and A$0" AW* has pu"lished four codes,
each of which cover different types of structural welding'
AW* D22 3 *tructural Welding 1ode 3 *teel
AW* D24 3 *tructural Welding 1ode 3 Aluminum
AW* D25 3 *tructural Welding 1ode 3 *heet *teel
AW* D26 3 *tructural Welding 1ode 3 (einforcing *teel
)epending on the type of structural welding being performed, one or more of the above
codes would be selected to detail the weld quality requirements.
A$0" has developed several codes which apply, in general, to pressure3containing
vessels. Two of those, A4$I - A$0" 51(.(, +ower +iping and 51(.1, 6hemical +lant
and +etroleum 7efinery +iping, detail those requirements for two different types of
pressure piping. &hile they carry an A4$I designation, they were actually developed
by A$0".
A$0" has also developed a series of codes applicable to the design and construction of
pressure vessels. )ue to the variety of applications of these vessels, the A$0" codes
e#ist as a set of eleven separate sections. $ome of the sections are further divided into
subsections. The eleven sections are'
$ection I +ower 5oilers
$ection II 0aterial $pecifications .four subsections/
$ection III 4uclear +ower 6omponents and $tructures
$ection I8 %eating 5oilers
$ection 8 4ondestructive "#amination
$ection 8I 7ecommended rules for 6are and *peration of %eating 5oilers
$ection 8II 7ecommended 7ules for 6are of +ower 5oilers
$ection 8III +ressure 8essels .divisions I and II/
$ection I9 &elding and 5ra!ing 2ualifications
$ection 9 :iberglass37einforced +lastic +ressure 8essels
$ection 9I 7ules for In3service Inspection of 4uclear +ower +lant
6omponents.
If inspecting work in accordance with A$0" criteria, the welding inspector may be
required to refer to several of the individual sections. :or e#ample, in the fabrication of
a steel unfired pressure vessel, those sections utili!ed might include'
;
$ection II, part A for the base metal requirements
$ection II, part 6 for the weld filler metal requirements
$ection 8 for requirements of nondestructive e#amination methods
$ection 8III for assembly and welding acceptance - rejection criteria
$ection I9 for welding procedure and performance qualification
&ith so many sections involved, it is imperative that the welding inspector understand
where each specific type of information can be found. %owever, if the inspector is a
specialist in a certain area, he may only need to refer to that individual section covering
his topic of concern.
*tandards
The ne#t documentation to be covered will be standards A standard is something
esta"lished for use as a rule or "asis of comparison in measuring or #udging
capacity, )uantity, content, e,tent, value, )uality, etc "ven though we consider the
standard as a separate document classification, it is actually a general term which
applies to numerous types of documents, including codes and specifications 7ther
types of documents which are considered to "e standards are. procedures,
recommended practices, groups of graphic sym"ols, classifications, and definitions
of terms There are numerous standards which provide important information, but are
actually considered to be non3mandatory. An e#ample of a non3mandatory standard
would be a recommended practice, because it may provide alternative ways in which
objectives can be accomplished With these non$mandatory standards words such
as /should0 and /could0 are used in place of /shall0 and /will0 The implication
here is that the information has "een put forth to serve as a guideline for someone
to perform a particular tas8 It does not mean that something is re#ecta"le "ecause
it fails to comply with that guideline
4ational standards are the result of an elaborate voting and review procedure overseen
by the American 4ational $tandards Institute or A4$I. $tandards produced by various
technical organi!ations such as A&$ and A$0" are reviewed by A4$I and, when
adopted, carry the identification of both organi!ations such as A4$I - A&$ )(.( and
A4$I - A$0" 51(.(. Another standard utili!ed by welding inspectors is the American
+etroleum Institute<s A+I3((=;.
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$tandards +roducing *rgani!ations
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*pecifications
The final document classification to be discussed is the specification. This type is
described as a detailed description of the parts of a whole; statement or
enumeration of particulars, as to actual or re)uired si&e, )uality, performance,
terms, etc $o, a specification is a detailed description or required attributes of some
it@em or operation. 4ot only are those requirements listed, but there may also be some
description of how they will be measured.
$pecifications can e#ist in different forms, depending upon the specific need. *ften, a
company will develop in3house specifications for use in describing the necessary
attributes of a material or process utili!ed in their manufacturing operation. It may be
utili!ed entirely within the confines of that company, or it may be sent to suppliers to
detail e#actly what the company wants to purchase. &hen these requirements are put
into writing, there is more assurance that the items or service which is supplied will
meet the customer<s needs. 5oth engineering and purchasing departments rely heavily
on specifications to describe their requirements.
In addition to these in3house or company specifications are those which are published
by various organi!ations and are available industry3wide. The American society for
Testing and 0aterials .A$T0/ has produced volumes of specifications covering
numerous materials, both metals and nonmetals, for many industries. They are involved
in the details of methods for evaluating these materials. &hen a specific material or test
is required, it is much easier to communicate the necessary information if the
specification already e#ists and is available for everyone<s reference. The A&$ has
developed a great number of specifications which describe requirements for welding
filler metals and some speciali!ed types of fabrication. A&$ A>.( through A>.1= dover
those requirements for the various types of welding consumables and electrodes. :or
e#ample, A>.( details those requirements for carbon steel covered electrodes for
shielded metal arc welding. Information provided includesB electrode classifications,
chemical and mechanical properties of the weld deposit, required testing, details of
tests, dimensional requirements, and packaging information.
1ontrol of Materials
7ne of the more important aspects of fa"rication is the identification and
tracea"ility of materials. $ome inspectors may be required to assist in this material
control program as part of their regular duties. If this is the case, that inspector must be
capable of properly identifying material and comparing that information with related
documentation. 0aterials for welded fabrication are often ordered with the stipulation
that they meet a particular specification. To demonstrate this compliance, the supplier
can furnish documentation which describes all important characteristics of that material.
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The documentation for metals is referred to as an MT(, which is the abbreviation for
Material 9or Mill: Test (eport or MT1, which is Material Test 1ertificate This
document is a statement by the manufacturer that this particular item e#hibits specific
chemical and mechanical properties. In some cases, material will be furnished with a
1MT( or 1T(, which is a 1ertified MT(. The attributes can be listed as either
typical or actual. Typical properties are simply those limits described by the
particular specification, while actual are those properties of the material which have
been physically measured and listed on the 0T7. 5oth indicate that the material
complies with some specification, but actual limits describe the measured chemical and
mechanical properties of tests representing that particular plate, pipe, bar, shape,
welding filler metal, etc.
&hen material which has been ordered to some specification arrives at the fabrication
site, it may be the responsibility of the inspector to review the accompanying 0T7 to
assure that the material does meet all applicable requirements of that job. 4ormally, the
material will be physically identified as to it<s type, grade, heat number, etc. This
identification may be painted, stenciled, or otherwise noted in some conspicuous
location. The inspector should compare that identification with the information
contained on the 0T7 to assure that the proper documentation has been provided and
that the material is actually that which was ordered.
;or a material control program to "e successful, there must "e some system
where"y that received material can then "e traced through the various fa"rication
steps. The goal is to be able to trace each individual piece of material utili!ed in some
fabricated component all the way back to it<s 0T7, and therefore, it<s manufacturer.
&hile this is not an absolute requirement for some types of fabrication, there are
industries, such as the nuclear, which are e#tremely concerned about this aspect of
fabrication. 6ompany policy will dictate what part, if any, the welding inspector will
play in a material control system. %e may actually review documents for compliance or
simply check to assure that someone else has already performed this task. Any material
control system has several important features. :irst, it should be as simple as possible.
If the system is too comple#, it may not be followed, resulting in loss of control. A
simple system which is understood by everyone involved has the best chance of actually
providing satisfactory results. Another important feature is that there are adequate
checks and balances to assure that the system will not break down and allow for the loss
of traceability.
Another effective way of maintaining control is through the use of a color coding
system. &ith this approach, individual types or grades of material are assigned a
particular color. Dpon receipt of that material, someone is responsible for marking each
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piece with the proper color so it can be easily identified during later fabrication steps.
&ith any marking system the identification should be visually apparent. It<s good
practice to mark the material in several places so the markings can be easily found.
Alloy Identification
Alloy identifications are usually developed by industry associations such as the $ociety
of Automotive "ngineers .$A"/, American Iron and $teel Institute .AI$I/ etc. Thus, the
alloy specifications developed by these different associations often overlapped or even
used identical alloy designations for completely different alloys The <nified =um"er
*ystem 9<=*: was developed in (C@; to help interconnect many nationally used
numbering systems that are currently supported by societies, trade associations, and
individual users and producers of metals and alloys. The D4$ is a means to avoid
confusion caused by the use of more than one identification number for the same
material, or the same identification numbers appearing for two or more entirely different
materials. The <=* is for "asic identification purposes only. D4$ numbers consist
of a single letter prefi#, followed by five digits. In most instances the
stainless steel and E for !inc and !inc alloys/
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