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NRC INSPECTION MANUAL DQASIP

INSPECTION PROCEDURE 55100

STRUCTURAL WELDING GENERAL INSPECTION PROCEDURE

PROGRAM APPLICABILITY: 2512, 2515, 2730

55100-01 INSPECTION OBJECTIVES

01.01 To determine through direct observation whether the

structural welding activities performed at the site are done in

accordance with SAR commitments to the AWS Code.

01.02 To determine whether the licensee's structural welding

practices, specification, and procedures meet the requirements of

the AWS Code and contract requirements.

01.03 To review a sample of records to determine whether they

are prepared, evaluated, and maintained in accordance with

applicable commitments and/or requirements.

01.04 To determine that welding practices, specifications,

procedures, production equipment, and existing licensee quality

control systems are adequate for the production of sound welds.

Inspection Schedule

Inspection Must Be Started Must Be Completed

1st inspection: After work is 5%

complete

Before work is 15%

complete

Subsequent

inspections:

Periodically until startup of the plant.

The schedule listed above applies to inspection of nuclear

construction site and other long-term inspection efforts. For

short-duration projects and vendor inspections, a different schedule

may be more practical.

55100-02 INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS

The inspection requirements contained in this section may be

fulfilled during a single inspection or several inspections
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depending upon type and scope of inspected welding activity. For

short-duration projects and vendor inspections, the completion of

all requirements listed below may not be practical.
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02.01 Base Material and Filler Metal Compatibility for Welding

a. Verify that base metals and welding filler materials combinations are as those listed in Table 4.1.1 of the AWS D1.1 Code.

b. Evaluate base material/filler metal combinations other than

those listed in Table 4.1.1 to determine the suitability of

application.

c. Verify that welding materials are clearly identified at all

times and that contractor/licensee has established adequate

controls to assure proper dispersion and handling of welding

materials.

d. Verify that the contractor/licensee has effective procedures

or his practice adequately controls moisture pickup of low

hydrogen electrodes. The maximum out of oven exposure time

should conform to the requirements stated in Table 4.5.2 of

the AWS Code.

e. If the contractor/licensee uses a single system for welding

material control, verify that this system is conservative and

meets the requirements for the most restrictive application.

02.02 Welding Procedures

a. Verify that the contractor/licensee or fabricator has

established procedures or instruction for preparation,

qualification approval/certification, distribution and

revision of welding procedure specifications (WPS).

b. If the contractor/licensee uses AWS prequalified welding

procedures, verify that those procedures meet all requirements

stated in the Table E1 of the AWS D1.1 Code.

c. For welding procedures other than those being prequalified in

accordance with the requirements stated in Appendix E of the

AWS D1.1 Code, verify that the procedure qualifications meet

the requirements of Section 5, Part B of the AWS Code.

d. Review two welding procedure (WPS) from each welding process

used in production welding and verify conformance with items

b or c as applicable.

e. Verify that each of the procedures mentioned in d above has

been qualified in accordance with Section 5 of the AWS Code

and that the supporting procedure qualification records (PQR)

are on file.

f. Review PQRs for the above procedures and verify that each PQR

lists the essential variables for the specific welding process

or processes covered and that the values or ranges of these

variables are consistent with those permitted by the WPS and

within the limits of Section 5 of the AWS Code.
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g. Verify that all mechanical tests required by Section 5 of the

AWS Code (including notch toughness when applicable) have been

completed and are properly documented in the PQR.

h. Verify that the PQR has been certified by the contractor/licensee and that the mechanical test results meet or

exceed the minimum AWS Code requirement.

i. Verify that any changes or revisions of the WPS essential

variables are supported by requalification of the original WPS

or a new WPS.

j. Verify that any changes in the WPS nonessential variables are

properly identified and documented either as revisions to the

original WPS or a new WPS.

02.03 Welder Qualifications

a. Verify that the manufacturer has established procedures for

qualification of welders and welding operators in accordance

with Section 5, Parts C and D of the AWS Code. These

procedures should include adequate provisions to preclude

falsification of welders and welding operator's qualifications.

b. If practical, sample adequate number of welders taking the

qualification tests and confirm by positive identification

that the person welding the test weldment is indeed the person

being qualified.

c. Verify that the manufacturer has a workable system for

maintaining a continuous record of the qualification status

of all welders and welding operators and that this system is

effectively utilized and accurate.

d. Verify by review of the qualification status records that

welders and welding operators performing production welding

have been and are currently qualified to weld under the

respective procedures. This review shall include all welder

and welding operators performing work on the welds selected

for inspection under paragraph 02.04, Production Welding.

02.04 Production Welding. Survey ongoing welding activities and

select typical in-process operations representing different welding

process procedures and joint configurations for detailed review.

Perform the following verifications.

a. Verify that welding procedures, detailed drawings and

instructions, if applicable, and weld data sheets are at the

work station or readily available.

b. Verify that the WPS assignment is in accordance with the

applicable AWS Code requirements. This is accomplished by

comparing the essential variables of the WPS to the production

weld.
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c. Verify that the welding technique and sequence requirements

are specified.

d. Verify that the base metals, welding filler materials, fluxes,

gases and backing materials are of the specified type and

grade, have been properly inspected, tested, and identified

and are traceable to test reports or certifications.

e. Verify that weld joint geometry is as specified and that

surfaces to be welded have been prepared, cleaned, and

inspected in accordance with applicable procedures of

instructions.

f. Verify that parts to be welded are assembled and held in place

within specified gap and alignment tolerances and verify that

the alignment is within limits allowed by the AWS Code.

g. Verify that gas purging, if specified, is used in accordance

with the applicable procedure and that protection is provided

to shield the welding operation from adverse environmental

conditions.

h. Verify that preheat, if specified, is in accordance with

applicable procedures requirements.

i. Verify that the technique of each welder is in accordance with

the welding procedure.

j. Verify that welding electrodes are used only in the positions

and with the electrical characteristics specified in the

welding procedure.

k. Verify that shielding gas flow and composition is as specified

in the WPS.

l. Verify that shielding gas flowmeters indicate the gas type for

which they are applicable and have appropriate conversion

factors if a different gas or gas mixture is used for work

under review.

m. Verify that welding equipment, including power cables and gas

lines, is in good condition and that ammeters and voltmeters

used for automatic welding have been calibrated in accordance

with applicable procedure requirements.

n. Verify that interpass temperature is controlled in accordance

with specified requirements.

o. Verify that interpass cleaning, grinding (especially starts

and stops) and peening are conducted in accordance with

applicable procedure.

p. Verify that backgouging, if applicable, is performed as

specified.

q. Verify that temporary attachments, arc strikes and weld

splatter are removed and inspected.
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r. Verify by direct observation and/or record review that repairs

are conducted in accordance with specified procedures.

s. Identify all welders and welding operators involved in joint

fitup, welding and weld repair for qualification review per

02.03 above.

t. Verify that all production welding equipment is in such

condition as to enable qualified welders to follow the

production welding procedures and be able to duplicate the

results obtained in the procedure qualification.

02.05 Preheat and Post Weld Heat Treatment

a. Verify that approved procedures are available for weld joint

preheating when required by a welding procedure specification.

These procedures should specify acceptable preheating methods

and provide requirements for monitoring and recording preheat

temperature before, during, and if specified, after welding

until post weld stress relief.

b. Sample sufficient number of in-process preheating to verify

that preheat control procedures are being following in

production welding.

c. Verify that the preheat used in production welding is within

the limits specified by the welding procedure, and in

accordance with Table 4.2 of the AWS Code.

d. Verify that approved procedures are available for the conduct

of postweld heat treatment and that the fabricator has a

system capable of meeting the heating and cooling rates, metal

temperature, temperature uniformity and control limits

specified in paragraph 4.4 of the AWS Code.

e. If furnace heating is used, verify that furnace atmosphere is

controlled as specified in approved procedure.

f. Review a sufficient sampling of PWHT operations (in-process

and records) to assure that the stress relief heat treatment

meets the requirements stated in Section 4 of the AWS Code.

g. Verify that temperature control is exercised on in-process

components which are required to be maintained at preheat or

other specified temperature for extended time periods while

awaiting further processing.

h. Examine cumulative stress-relief records for typical welds and

verify that the total time and temperatures meet the AWS code

requirements.

02.06 Examination and Inspection of Welds

a. Select welds produced by different welding processes,

procedures, and combination of procedures, and verify by

visual examination that the following characteristics conform
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to the applicable AWS Code and fabricators welding procedure

requirements:

1. Weld surface finish and appearance.

2. Transitions between welds of different diameters and wall

thicknesses.

3. Weld reinforcement.

4. Shape and size of fillet and socket welds.

5. Joint configurations of structural supports.

6. Removal of temporary fabrication aids, arc strikes and

weld spatter.

7. Finish-grinding or machining of weld surface.

8. Absence of surface defects including cracks, laps, lack

of penetration, lack of fusion, porosity, slag, oxide

film and under-cut exceeding prescribed limits.

b. Verify that approved procedures are available for the

nondestructive examination of the weld when required by the

AWS Code and/or contract requirements.

c. Verify that the fabricator's nondestructive procedures meet

the AWS Code and/or contract requirements. To accomplish

this, select the applicable nondestructive examination method

and inspect per IE Procedures 57050, 57060, 57070, 57080, or

57090, as required.

d. Verify that the fabricator's welding inspectors are certified

in accordance with the requirements of the AWS Code.

e. Verify that the fabricator's inspection of welds meet the

requirements stated in Section 6 of the AWS Code.

55100-03 INSPECTION GUIDANCE

General Guidance. The IE inspector performing the inspection under

this procedure should be thoroughly familiar with the requirements

contained in AWS Structural Welding Code. The knowledge of welding,

welding operations, their applications, limitations, and evaluations

is essential for this inspection. The intent of this procedure is

to achieve an in-depth review of the overall AWS Code welding

activities taking place at the construction site. It is intended

that early in the construction phase of the plant, a cognizant IE

inspector will perform this inspection in order to advise the

regional management about potentially troublesome areas and identify

any significant deficiencies which need correction.

Periodic assessments of the structural welding activities performed

by a cognizant IE inspection will be required throughout the

construction phase of the plant. This procedure should be used also
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in cases when the regional management has reasons to believe that

the AWS welding performed on the site does not meet established

practices and standards; e.g., serious allegations related to

welding, discovery of significant welding problems which will lead

to degradation of hardware, etc.

This inspection of the structural welding activities performed on

the site is outlined in this procedure can be described as a

four-phase progressive review: First, prior to performing an

inspection the inspector familiarizes himself with the requirements

pertaining to the particular site scheduled for inspection. Second,

the licensee's/contractor's procedures and practices are reviewed.

Third, the work is observed to determine that the work is accomplished in accordance with these procedures and practices. Finally,

records and drawings are reviewed to verify that they are complete

and accurate. For long-duration projects, it is estimated that at

least three weeks of actual site inspection will be needed to

perform the required in-depth review of items b through d below.

The complete inspection of welding activities at the site can be

accomplished during a single inspection or by the completion of each

phase of the procedure during several inspections. Additional

guidance concerning each phase of inspection is provided below:

a. Preparation for Inspection. Prior to performing an inspection

in accordance with the requirements of this procedure the IE

inspector should review the following:

1. NRC requirements.

2. Licensees' commitments relative to Code editions; e.g.,

which Code edition applies to this site.

3. Applicable portions of the SAR.

4. Licensees' special requirements contained in their

welding and purchasing specifications.

5. The number and scope of each welding contractor performing work at the site.

6. Licensees' programs and procedures pertaining to the

subject.

7. Applicable portions of the QA Manual.

8. Licensees' commitments relative to welding and associated

activities.

b. Review of Welding Specification and Procedures. The inspector

should perform the following reviews:

1. Identify contractors or fabricators performing AWS

welding at the site.

2. Identify which welding processes are used at the site and

perform a review of all welding procedures used in
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production welding in accordance with the applicable

paragraphs of section 02 of this procedure.

3. Determine whether the welding procedures being used meet

all of the AWS Code and additional contract requirements

(if any). Establish whether the use of these procedures

will result in the production of sound weld suitable for

intended application.

c. Work Observations. The IE inspector should select for work

observation a sample of welds comprising a combination of

structures and AWS welding contractors associated with the

work. The selected welds should also represent a good cross

section of the production activities in terms of welding

processes used (SMA, TIG, etc.,) and materials to be welded

(high strength steel, carbon steel, etc.). Considerations

such as physical location, difficulties to weld and limited

accessibility should be also incorporated in the sample

selection. The total number of sampled welds selected for

work observation should be at least thirty (30) but need not

be greater than sixty (60), since statistically a greater

sample size will not significantly increase the confidence

interval of the sampled production welding. However, it is

very important that the inspected sample is representative of

all ongoing production welding.

d. Record Review. The IE inspector should review all of the

relevant documentation related to a sample thirty (30)

randomly selected welds for each welding process used at the

site (e.g., SMA, TIG, MIG, etc.). Same considerations as

those stated in c above are applicable. It is preferable that

the welds identified for record review are not the same welds

identified for work observation. However, certain circumstances may necessitate the use of some of the welds sampled

in c above (e.g., a contractor/licensee has completed only

three welds to date and all three welds need to be included

in the sample to provide meaningful statistical representation).

55100-04 REFERENCES

SAR, Chapters 1, 3, 5, 6, and 17, including pertinent Codes and

Standards referenced in these chapters.

AWS Structural Welding Code.

Regulatory Guide 1.26, Quality Group Classifications and Standards

for Water-, Steam- and Radio-Waste Containing Components of Nuclear

Power Plants

Regulatory Guide 1.29, Seismic Design Classification

Regulatory Guide 1.38, Quality Assurance Requirements for Packaging,

Shipping, Receiving, Storage and Handling of Items for Water-Cooled

Nuclear Power Plants
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Regulatory Guide 1.50, Control of Pre-Heat Temperature for Welding

of Low-Alloy Steel

Regulatory Guide 1.58, Qualification of Nuclear Power Plant

Inspection, Examination, and Testing Personnel

Regulatory Guide 1.71, Welder Qualification for Areas of Limited

Accessibility

Welding Handbook, Volume 1, Fundamentals of Welding, AWS

Welding Inspection, AWS

END