cwi inspection question

[bb29510]

1)would you as a cwi go over the head of another cwi on inspection if you are not the primary independent inspector.
2) non-uniformity is a weld discontinuities but can you fail a weld because of it in d1.1

reason, contractor doing just ugly weld, very ugly, make you wonder if the welder certified, contractor claim instead of repairing welds, he hire another cwi
(note for clarity, I am the primary independent cwi, hired by the owner on this project)
I dont work for the contractor, I'm hired by the owner, i was alway told, if another cwi is aws approved and certified, then give him the benefit of doubt and dont go there.

what are your thoughts?

master ICC inspector, AWS CWI

 

[racookpe1978]

No.

YOUR responsibility as a "Master CWI", as a knowledgeble person who finds out about a problem in your area of expertise on any project, and as a responsible contracted inspector to the owner and to that owner's future public and private users of the building/pipeline/plant - ALL three give you responsibility on this specific project - is to the steel and the strength of the joints and the members.


Let the other inspector know you have seen the problem welds, have concerns about their quality, have concerns about the welders' qualification and training AND practices, and would appreciate his/her explanations and answers to your concerns. Be polite, but be firm. Don't immediately go to the owner/contracting manager - unless you are still unsatisfied about ANY part of the explanation from the other CWI.
Then, let the owner know you are questioning the welds, and the qualification/certification of the other welders.
Get behind closed doors with the owner, other inspector, and the owner/manager of the welding company/union business manager. (If the welders are local hires directly, get new welders.)

The steel will fail if you do nothing. The steel will not care if you can passively "blame the other inspector" when people are killed below falling structures and pipes.