Welding out of compliance
Welding out of compliance
(OP)
This could get lengthy.
I have a client that awarded contract on a project with no QA controls in place. At the moment I am not privy to the contract documentation but soon should get them. I was asked as QC to review a final turnover package from another contractor. Upon my findings, the biggest thing I found was that there were 3 welders on the project. 2 of which welded the complete project out of thickness compliance to the WPQ. They were qualified up to .250" and the base metal was .375". The piping system did pass a hydro, but that doesn't cover the welding parameters for the welders. Since this has been caught after the fact of signing a CCC it is now being asked of me to give recommendations so that the client can safely say they will accept responsibility for this piping package. Regardless of who is at fault, my question is other than a NCR, what can the client do at this point to say if you do this, we will accept as is. My recommendation at the moment is to get the contractor to go back and have volumetric NDE do 20% of the remaining welds with no defects and follow with a NCR. Or do we go for 100% Volumetric on remaining welds? I realize this is most likely spelled out in contract documentation and I am not looking for legal advice but I would appreciate feedback if you were in this situation.
Simple breakdown:
Client with no QA protocols for documentation turnover.
Contractor trying to get the job finished knowing there is no oversight.
Another contractor (mine) looking at data books for a job that is complete and signed off by client.
How to go forward with current job not being in compliance with ASME IX welder qualifications.
I have a client that awarded contract on a project with no QA controls in place. At the moment I am not privy to the contract documentation but soon should get them. I was asked as QC to review a final turnover package from another contractor. Upon my findings, the biggest thing I found was that there were 3 welders on the project. 2 of which welded the complete project out of thickness compliance to the WPQ. They were qualified up to .250" and the base metal was .375". The piping system did pass a hydro, but that doesn't cover the welding parameters for the welders. Since this has been caught after the fact of signing a CCC it is now being asked of me to give recommendations so that the client can safely say they will accept responsibility for this piping package. Regardless of who is at fault, my question is other than a NCR, what can the client do at this point to say if you do this, we will accept as is. My recommendation at the moment is to get the contractor to go back and have volumetric NDE do 20% of the remaining welds with no defects and follow with a NCR. Or do we go for 100% Volumetric on remaining welds? I realize this is most likely spelled out in contract documentation and I am not looking for legal advice but I would appreciate feedback if you were in this situation.
Simple breakdown:
Client with no QA protocols for documentation turnover.
Contractor trying to get the job finished knowing there is no oversight.
Another contractor (mine) looking at data books for a job that is complete and signed off by client.
How to go forward with current job not being in compliance with ASME IX welder qualifications.
Talk To Other Members
RE: Welding out of compliance
RE: Welding out of compliance
1) Only contract requirements apply, without them, nothing can be inspected, reviewed, or verified.
2) If there were no contract requirements...then what else would the contractor do besides try to "get done".
3) Without ANY requirements, what is required to be in the data packages?
4) If you are basing your range of qualification on base metal thickness and not deposited weld metal thickness and ASME IX is the applcable code, base metal thickness does not matter. If only one welder welded the joint out and it was .375" and the welder was only qualified to "deposit" .250" then that would be outside the scope of qualification. If the base metal was .375" and the welder only deposited .250" with one process and maybe the remaining with another OR there were two welders on the one weld, then that would be acceptable.
Gerald Austin
www.weldingdata.com
Greeneville Tennessee