Requirements for Weld Inspection of Pedestrian Steel Bridge

[jmontoya]

I have a steel pedestrian bridge that the contractor was not able to provide the required weld inspection reports and now the owner is asking me to provide specifications for non destructive testing of the welds before accepting the bridge. Do you know of any specifications that determine what percentage of the welds should be tested and types of testing for the different kinds of welds?.

 

[bridgebuster]

Take a look at the NYSDOT Steel Construction Manual. It has the answers to your questions; or if your state DOT has a similar publication refer to that one.

https://www.nysdot.gov/divisions/engineering/structures/manuals/scm

 

[ishvaaag]

A set of codes that have related things

American Society of Mechanical Engineers
ASME B31.1 Power Piping
ASME B31.3 Process Piping
ASME Section V Nondestructive Examination
ASME Sect. VIII, Div. 1 Pressure Vessels
ASME SE1209 Standard Test Method, Fluorescent Penetrant
Exam./Water Washable
ASME SE1219 Standard Test Method, Fluorescent Penetrant
Exam./Solvent Removable
ASME SE1220 Standard Test Method, Visible Penetrant
Exam./Solvent Removable
American Welding Society
AWS D1.1 Structural Welding Code - Steel
American Petroleum Institute
API 510 Pressure Vessel Inspection Code: Maintenance,
Inspection, Rating, Repair and Alteration
API 570 Inspection, Repair, Alteration, and Rerating of
Inservice Piping Systems
API 620 Design and Construction. of Large Welded Low
Pressure Storage Tanks
API 650 Welded Steel Tanks for Oil Storage

I would start by looking for the pertinent section in the AWS D1.1 code.

 

[beton1]

First step: is the fabricator certified? I assume this was built in a shop and transported. Second step: Independent testing agency
may guide you in inspection and testing as per performance specs.

 

[cybo11]

Most pedestrian bridge mfgr's use D1.1 as a basis but I have seen some use D1.5 with seismic reqmt's which technically means a much bigger paycheck for the inspector.

Most test labs utilize a combination of D1.1 and ICC criteria for their inspections which in a nutshell should include:

1)Inspection of WPS's, MTR's, equipment, welder and electrode certs.
2)Fillets up to 5/16" can get visual after the fact (All welds still need 100% visual)
3)3/8" fillets and greater should be witnessed in progress but after the fact MT is acceptable. (sampling can be determined by EOR)
4) All CJP welds get UT or RT
5) If D1.5 is spec'd then CVN samples are req'd

D1.1 6.6.5 "...If NDT other than visual is not specified in the original contract but is subsequently requested by the owner the contractor shall perform any requested testing or allow it to be performed... The owner shall be responsible for all costs including handling, surface prep, NDT and repair at rates agreeable B/T owner and contractor. However, if testing discloses attempts to defraud or gross non-conformance to the code, repair work shall be done at contractor's expense"


Steve Howell
Ballard Forge.com

 

[Teguci]

Start with a visual examination and recommend at least 10% of groove welds and fillets larger than 5/16" be tested using NDT per AWS D1.1. Let people know that if failures are found in the 10% additional testing will be required. Do a statistical analysis based on the 10% sample to determine what the success/fail rate is and compare to what you, as EOR, believe is an acceptable rate.