What inspection records does AWS D1.1 require the CWI to produce?

AWS D1.1 Section 7 defines the inspector's authority and responsibilities but does not prescribe a rigid record format. In practice, a compliant QC system produces pre-weld inspection records (fit-up, preheat verification, WPS applicability), in-process records (parameter monitoring at hold points, interpass temperature), and post-weld records (visual acceptance or rejection, NDE results). The contract documents and the fabricator's QC plan typically define the specific form and retention period.

Does every weld rejection require a formal Non-Conformance Report?

AWS D1.1 does not mandate a specific NCR format, but any weld that fails visual or NDE acceptance criteria must be dispositionally documented before repair or acceptance is authorized. Most fabricators and all AISC-certified shops use a formal NCR or weld rejection tag system. The record must identify the joint, the deficiency, the applicable acceptance criterion, the disposition (repair, accept-by-EOR waiver, or reject), and the re-inspection result after repair.

Who has authority to accept a weld that failed visual inspection — can the CWI accept a repair without the EOR?

For repair, the CWI verifies that the repaired weld meets the applicable visual and NDE acceptance criteria in AWS D1.1. The CWI has authority to accept the repair once it meets code requirements. However, if a weld that does not meet code criteria is to be accepted as-is (by engineering waiver rather than repair), the engineer of record must provide written acceptance — the CWI does not have authority to waive a code requirement on their own.

How long must CWI inspection records be retained?

AWS D1.1 does not specify a retention period for inspection records. Retention requirements come from the contract documents, the applicable building code, the owner's QA requirements, or an AISC certification program. Typical structural fabrication records are retained for 10 years from project completion, though bridge and infrastructure projects often require longer periods. The fabricator's QC manual should state the retention policy explicitly.

CWI Inspection Report Documentation Under AWS D1.1

AWS D1.1 Section 7 assigns specific inspection duties to the CWI. Here's what records must exist, how NCRs should be written, and what an audit expects to find.

Welding inspection under AWS D1.1 is authority with accountability. The Certified Welding Inspector has the responsibility to accept or reject welds on behalf of the owner's inspection program, but that authority only has value if it's documented. A CWI who inspected every joint and found no problems is indistinguishable from one who inspected nothing, if neither produced records.

Most CWIs understand the technical criteria. What separates a defensible inspection program from one that fails an AISC audit or a third-party QA review is the documentation system that proves inspections were performed, results were recorded, and non-conformances were properly dispositioned.

What Section 7 Actually Says About Records

AWS D1.1 Section 7 defines inspection responsibilities and authority but is intentionally silent on the specific format of inspection records. The code does not prescribe form numbers, field layouts, or software systems. What it does establish is a framework of when inspection must occur (before, during, and after welding) and what the inspector must verify at each stage.

The practical implication: the inspection record system is defined by the fabricator's QC manual, the contract documents, and — if applicable — the AISC certification program requirements. A shop that treats "no prescribed form" as "no records required" will not survive a third-party audit.

Rule library based on AWS D1.1:2025; verify against your governing edition.

Pre-Weld Inspection Records

Pre-weld inspection establishes that the conditions for sound welding exist before the arc is struck. The CWI (or designated inspector) verifies:

WPS applicability: the WPS number on the traveler or weld map covers the process, position, base metal, and thickness for this joint. This is not a box to check at the start of a job and forget — it must be verified for each weld type and position combination encountered in production.
Welder/operator qualification: the individual assigned to the joint holds a current WPQ that covers the process, position, and base metal being welded. A welder whose continuity has lapsed under AWS D1.1 Clause 6.4.1 is not qualified, regardless of past credentials. See AWS D1.1 welder continuity six-month rule for details on tracking qualification status.
Joint fit-up: root opening, groove angle, bevel dimensions, and backing bar (if used) meet the WPS and applicable joint detail. Fit-up measurements are recorded.
Preheat: the base metal at the joint has been brought to at least the minimum preheat temperature specified on the WPS. The temperature and measurement method (contact pyrometer, temperature-indicating crayon) are documented.
Base metal identification: the plate or section has been identified, either by heat number, MTR reference, or other traceability marker, and matches the base metal specification listed on the WPS.

Pre-weld inspection records should capture all of the above for each joint before welding begins. On high-volume repetitive work (e.g., fillet welds on a large moment frame), the inspection may be done on a representative sample per a defined frequency, but the sampling method and frequency must be stated in the QC plan.

In-Process Inspection and Hold Points

In-process inspection is where real-time quality control happens. The CWI monitors active welding to verify that parameters stay within the WPS-qualified range and that interpass conditions are maintained.

Key in-process records:

Parameter monitoring records: Amperage, voltage, travel speed, and wire feed rate (for mechanized processes) are periodically verified against the WPS range and recorded. The frequency of monitoring is typically specified in the QC plan. For processes subject to heat input documentation, the calculation (or measured value from a weld monitor) is recorded.

Interpass temperature records: The temperature of the weld joint immediately before each pass is verified to be above the minimum preheat and below the maximum interpass temperature listed on the WPS. For thick sections or high preheat requirements, interpass temperature can be the most active monitoring task during a multi-pass weld. See interpass temperature control in structural welding for measurement methods.

Hold point sign-offs: If the QC plan or contract designates specific weld passes as hold points (where inspection must occur before welding continues), the CWI documents the verification and authorizes continuation. The root pass on CJP welds, and the transition to fill passes after back-gouging, are common hold points. A hold point without documentation provides no QC value.

Weld pass sequencing: For complex joints with specified pass sequences (to manage distortion or ensure CVN-qualified passes are in the correct locations), the inspector verifies and records that the sequence matches the WPS.

Post-Weld Visual Inspection Records

Visual inspection is the first NDE method applied after welding and the one the CWI performs on every weld before any further NDE. The visual acceptance criteria in AWS D1.1 cover weld size, profile, surface condition, and discontinuity limits.

The post-weld visual inspection record captures:

Joint identifier (weld number, mark number, or location reference)
WPS number applied
Date of inspection
Inspector name and CWI certification number
Visual inspection result: accept (A) or reject (R)
For rejections: the specific discontinuity, its location, size, and the applicable acceptance criterion it failed

The rejection record must be specific enough to locate the deficiency for repair. "Undercut on east web fillet, 12 inches from north end, 1/32 inch depth" is useful. "Undercut" alone is not. The repair welder and the re-inspection inspector both need to find and verify the same location.

Non-Conformance Report Format and Disposition

Every weld that fails visual or NDE acceptance criteria generates a Non-Conformance Report. The NCR is the document that proves the deficiency was identified, evaluated, and properly resolved rather than ignored or buried.

A functional NCR format captures:

NCR number: sequential, for tracking open vs. closed NCRs
Joint identification: project, weld number, location
Description of nonconformance: what failed, what criterion it failed against (clause reference), and how it was identified (visual, MT, RT, UT)
Root cause (when required by the QC plan or customer): why did this happen?
Disposition: repair per WPS; request acceptance-by-EOR waiver; reject and remove
Repair description: which repair WPS was used, what was removed, what was deposited
Re-inspection result: accept or escalate
Signatures: CWI closing the NCR, and (for EOR waivers) the engineer's written concurrence

For accepted-by-waiver dispositions, the engineer's written acceptance must accompany the NCR in the project records. A CWI signature alone is not sufficient to close an NCR on a deficiency that does not meet code. See who can sign a WPS and CWI requirements for the boundaries of CWI authority.

What an AISC Audit Expects to Find

AISC Certified Fabricator surveillance audits review the QC system as a whole. Auditors will pull recent project files and ask to see:

The fabricator's QC manual, including the inspection frequency plan and NCR procedure
Pre-weld and in-process inspection records for a sample of completed joints
Open and closed NCR logs, with evidence that all rejections were resolved
NDE subcontractor reports and evidence that the CWI reviewed and accepted them
Welder qualification records and evidence that qualifications were current when the work was performed

A common finding is that pre-weld and in-process records exist but are not linked to the specific joints they covered. If the inspection record says "Checked preheat on all joints — compliant" with no joint identifiers, an auditor cannot determine which joints were inspected and which were not. The record must be traceable to specific work.

For a detailed look at how inspection records fit into the overall audit package, see common WPS deficiencies in third-party audits and the AISC certification audit readiness guide.

Digital vs. Paper Records

AWS D1.1 does not specify a medium for inspection records. Paper logbooks, spreadsheets, and purpose-built weld management software are all acceptable. The code requirement is that records exist, are legible, are traceable to specific joints and personnel, and are retained per the project requirements.

The practical advantage of digital systems is search and retrieval. During an audit, the ability to pull all NCRs for a project in under a minute, filter by disposition type, and show that every open NCR was closed before final acceptance is a significant QA demonstration. Paper binders can do the same thing if organized rigorously, but the burden is higher.

WPS Welding integrates weld log documentation with WPS and welder qualification records, so the inspection trail from pre-weld fit-up through final NDE acceptance is connected to the procedure and personnel records in one place — the kind of audit-ready traceability that typically takes separate binders and cross-referencing to produce manually.