What Documents Are Needed for a Welding Special Inspection?

What does ASI need to schedule the inspection?

You do not need to assemble every welding document before calling ASI. To begin reviewing the request, provide:

• Project address
• Jurisdiction
• Permit number
• Requested inspection type
• Requested date and start time
• Description of the work being welded
• Site contact and mobile number

ASI will review the scope, jurisdiction, and requested time before confirming the assignment. Additional technical documents must be available before the welding inspection begins.

Approved plans and welding details

Provide the approved structural plans and the details showing the work to be welded. The special inspector must be able to identify:

• The members or components being connected
• Weld type and location
• Weld size and length
• Base-metal type and thickness
• Any required complete-joint-penetration or partial-joint-penetration welds
• Applicable welding code
• Special inspection requirements
• Required nondestructive testing, when specified

The welding information may appear in the structural details, general notes, schedules, approved shop drawings, or an approved deferred-submittal package.

A general note stating “weld per code” may not provide enough information to determine the required connection. If the approved documents do not clearly identify the weld, the registered design professional may need to provide clarification before the work proceeds.

Approved shop drawings

When shop drawings are part of the approved construction documents, the current approved set must be available to the special inspector.

Shop drawings may contain connection details, weld symbols, member sizes, erection information, and fabrication requirements that do not appear on the main structural sheets. Preliminary, superseded, or unapproved shop drawings should not be used as the basis for accepting the work.

The drawings at the site must match the revision being used by the welder.

Welding Procedure Specification

A Welding Procedure Specification, commonly called a WPS, provides the written instructions for making the weld. The WPS should be appropriate for the:

• Applicable welding code
• Welding process
• Base metal
• Filler metal
• Material thickness
• Joint configuration
• Welding position
• Electrical characteristics
• Preheat and interpass-temperature requirements
• Other applicable essential variables

The WPS must apply to the welding actually being performed. A procedure for a different welding process, material, position, or joint may not cover the work.

The American Welding Society provides separate forms for Welding Procedure Specifications, Procedure Qualification Records, and welder qualification records because they serve different purposes.

Is a Procedure Qualification Record also required?

Not in every case.

Some welding procedures may be prequalified when all requirements of the applicable welding code are satisfied. A prequalified WPS does not depend on a Procedure Qualification Record in the same way as a procedure qualified by testing.

When the procedure is not prequalified, a Procedure Qualification Record, commonly called a PQR, may be required to support the WPS. The contractor, fabricator, or welding coordinator is responsible for providing the applicable procedure documentation.

The special inspector does not create the contractor’s WPS or qualify a welding procedure during a routine field inspection.

Welder qualification records

Provide qualification documentation for each welder who will perform the inspected work. The record must show that the welder is qualified for the applicable:

• Welding process
• Position
• Base-metal or filler-metal grouping
• Material thickness or diameter
• Joint type and backing condition
• Applicable welding code

A certification card or qualification record is not automatically valid for every type of weld. The qualification must cover the welding the person is assigned to perform.

A Welding Performance Qualification Record documents the qualification variables, test results, and certification of the welder’s performance test.

Welder continuity

Welder qualification may depend on maintaining continuity for the applicable welding process. Records should be available when continuity must be verified.

A qualification document showing that a welder passed a test several years ago may not establish that the qualification remains current. The contractor or employer responsible for the qualification records should provide the required continuity documentation.

Do not wait until the inspector arrives to discover that the welder’s qualification or continuity cannot be verified.

Approved RFIs, revisions, and repair details

Provide written, approved documentation for changes that affect the welding. This may include:

• Responses to requests for information
• Revised structural details
• Approved substitution requests
• Engineer-approved repair procedures
• Field-change documents
• Building-department-approved revisions when required

A verbal instruction from someone onsite does not replace an approved detail when the proposed work differs from the approved plans.

The special inspector cannot redesign a connection, select a substitute weld, or independently approve a deviation.

Material information

The special inspector must be able to identify the materials being joined and the filler metal being used. Depending on the project, the necessary information may come from:

• Approved plans and specifications
• Shop drawings
• Material markings
• Manufacturer labels
• Mill test reports
• Electrode or filler-metal packaging
• Product certifications

Keep electrode containers, spool labels, and other identifying information available until the inspector has verified the materials.

What does the special inspector check before welding begins?

The required inspection depends on the approved scope, but pre-welding verification may include:

• Approved plans and current welding details
• Applicable WPS
• Welder qualifications and continuity
• Base and filler materials
• Joint preparation and dimensions
• Fit-up and alignment
• Backing and weld-access holes
• Welding position and process
• Preheat requirements
• Condition and storage of welding consumables
• Environmental conditions affecting the work

The CBC requires special inspection and nondestructive testing of steel construction in accordance with the applicable provisions and referenced standards. The exact inspection tasks and whether they are continuous or periodic depend on the approved project requirements.

What must remain accessible?

Do not cover, coat, fireproof, encase, or otherwise conceal welds before the required inspection has been completed.

The inspector must have safe access and sufficient visibility to observe the work required by the approved inspection scope. For continuous inspection, the special inspector must be present while the applicable welding is performed. For periodic inspection, the inspector must be able to examine the required stages of the work and the completed welds.

Scheduling a periodic inspection does not mean the contractor can complete and conceal the work before the inspector arrives.

What happens when the documents are missing?

The special inspector may be unable to verify the welder, welding procedure, connection requirements, or acceptance criteria. The affected work may need to stop until the missing information is provided.

If the approved plans conflict with the shop drawings, WPS, or field conditions, the registered design professional should resolve the conflict. Building-department approval may also be required when the resolution changes the approved construction documents.

Producing the documents before the scheduled start time is one of the simplest ways to prevent inspection delays.