Weld Repair Documentation Under AWS D1.1: Corrective Action Records
When a weld is rejected, AWS D1.1 Clause 6.22 governs how the repair is performed and what records must back it up. Here is the documentation chain CWIs and QC managers need.
A rejected weld does not close with the inspector writing "reject" on the traveler. It opens a documentation trail that runs from the rejection finding through root-cause assessment, excavation and repair, re-inspection, and final acceptance — with a record at each stage. AWS D1.1:2025 Clause 6.22 governs the corrective action requirements; the documentation is what makes the repair traceable and auditable.
QC managers at fab shops underestimate how often this documentation is reviewed. AISC certification auditors, building departments, and forensic investigators look at repair records first when a structural weld is in question. Gaps in the chain — a repair that was made but has no re-inspection record, or an NCR that was closed without a root cause — are findings that erode confidence in the entire fabrication record.
What the rejection record must contain
Before any repair work starts, the rejection finding must be documented. At minimum, the nonconformance record (NCR) should include:
Weld and joint identification. The weld ID, joint number, drawing number, and piece mark — enough to locate the weld uniquely in the shop or on the structure. The welder ID stamp or identifier must also be recorded, since rejections by a specific welder may trigger additional inspection per the WPS acceptance sampling plan.
The finding. The type of discontinuity (porosity cluster, incomplete fusion, undercut, crack), its location on the weld, its measured size or extent, and the acceptance criterion it violates. For UT rejections, the indication amplitude, location coordinates, and search unit frequency.
The inspection method and inspector. NDE method, procedure or technique used, and the name and certification level of the inspector. CWI certification number for visual inspection; Level II or III for UT, RT, MT, PT.
Date of inspection. Rejections must be traceable to the stage of fabrication at which they were found.
AWS D1.1:2025 Clause 6.22.1 requires that the defective weld metal or base metal be removed before repair welding. The removal method — arc gouging, grinding, or mechanical cutting — must fully eliminate the discontinuity. The excavation method is not typically restricted by the standard, but the resulting groove must be suitable for welding.
Verification before repair welding: After excavation, the inspector should visually examine the groove — and apply MT or PT if the original discontinuity was a crack — to confirm the defect is fully removed. Welding over a crack that was not completely excavated is the most common cause of repair failure and re-rejection.
The excavated groove geometry then dictates what WPS applies. Key questions:
Is the groove within the geometry of the original qualified WPS?
Does the repair position (flat, vertical, overhead) match the qualified position of the applicable WPS?
Is the base metal condition — thickness, chemistry, preheat — the same as when the original WPS was qualified?
If the excavated groove falls outside the original WPS limits, the engineer must either qualify a repair procedure or bring the groove back within prequalified geometry. Attempting to fit a repair into an existing WPS that does not cover the repair configuration is a documentation violation that will appear in an audit.
Preheat for repair welds is at least as critical as for original production welds — often more so, because the base metal has already experienced one thermal cycle. AWS D1.1 preheat requirements apply to repair welds the same as to original welds. High-restraint repair geometries (weld in a corner, thick section, confined joint) may warrant preheat above the WPS minimum.
After the repair is complete, the weld must be re-examined. AWS D1.1:2025 requires visual examination of every repair plus NDE by the method that originally identified the defect:
UT rejection → UT re-inspection after repair, plus visual
RT rejection → RT re-inspection after repair, plus visual
MT/PT rejection → MT or PT re-inspection after repair, plus visual
Visual rejection → visual re-inspection after repair
The re-inspection must be performed after the repair weld has cooled to ambient temperature. Hydrogen-induced cracking (cold cracking) is a delayed failure mode that can appear hours to days after welding. For high-strength steels or thick sections where hydrogen cracking is a risk, the standard practice is to wait a minimum of 48 hours before final NDE, especially UT.
The re-inspection record must be linked to the original NCR. A re-inspection that passes generates a closure record — the NCR disposition. A re-inspection that fails generates a second NCR, and the cycle begins again.
Root cause and process correction
AWS D1.1 does not mandate a written root-cause analysis for every repair, but good QC practice — and what AISC auditors expect — is a root-cause determination when a weld or welder shows a pattern of rejections. The question is not just "what was wrong with this weld" but "why did the process produce this defect."
Common root causes by defect type:
Defect
Common root cause
Porosity cluster
Wet consumables, shielding gas loss, contaminated base metal surface
Incomplete fusion
Travel speed too fast, voltage too low, improper torch angle, wrong joint fit-up
Undercut
Voltage too high, travel speed excessive, wrong electrode angle at toes
Transverse crack
Hydrogen in the weld, high restraint, insufficient preheat, rapid cooling
Longitudinal crack
Centerline segregation, high carbon content, excessive heat input
When the root cause is a WPS deviation — welding out of the qualified range — the corrective action must address the process parameter, not just the repair. A welder who ran 380°F preheat where 400°F was required needs retraining and supervision, not just a repair authorization. Document the corrective action taken as part of the NCR closure.
Documentation retention
Weld repair records are part of the quality file for the fabricated structure. AWS D1.1 does not itself set retention periods — those come from the contract, the building code, or the owner's QA requirements. For structural steel, a minimum of 10 years is common; for bridges and critical infrastructure, the record may need to be retained for the life of the structure.
The repair file for each affected weld joint should include:
Original rejection NCR with inspection data
Excavation method and groove verification record
WPS number applied to the repair
Welder/welding operator ID
Preheat verification records
Re-inspection results (visual + NDE)
NCR closure disposition (accepted as repaired)
Engineer notification log, if applicable
Keeping this chain intact for every repair is the difference between an audit that takes an afternoon and one that takes a week. For shops managing large structure fabrication with dozens of weld joints, a digital repair tracking system tied to the WPS and inspection records is the only practical way to stay current.
Rule library based on AWS D1.1:2025; verify against your governing edition. The authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) or contract may specify AWS D1.1:2020 or an earlier edition, which may use different clause numbers.
FAQ
Frequently asked.
Does a repair weld require its own WPS under AWS D1.1?
Not a separate WPS in every case, but the repair must be performed using a procedure that is qualified for the base metal, position, and joint configuration of the repair. If the repair is on a prequalified joint and matches a prequalified WPS, the existing procedure may cover it. If the original WPS would not qualify the repair geometry — for example, a groove is opened wider than the WPS covers — a new or amended qualified WPS is required.
What NDE is required after a weld repair under AWS D1.1?
The repaired area must be examined by the same method used to detect the original discontinuity, plus visual examination. If the original rejection was by UT, the repair gets UT plus visual. If RT was used, the repaired weld gets RT plus visual. AWS D1.1 does not allow accepting a repair on visual alone when the original rejection was by volumetric or surface NDE.
Who is authorized to approve a weld repair under AWS D1.1?
The engineer of record (EOR) or the owner's inspector typically must be notified before a repair is made to a weld that has been accepted and placed in service, or when repair affects a structural element. For production welds that have been rejected before final acceptance, the contractor's CWI can authorize the repair under an established NCR procedure, but the re-inspection record must be retained.
Can a repair weld be excavated and re-welded more than once?
AWS D1.1 does not set an absolute limit on the number of repair attempts, but repeated excavation and re-welding of the same location accumulates heat and potential metallurgical damage. Judgement is required: the engineer may impose a limit, and on fracture-critical or demand-critical welds, re-repair is often explicitly restricted. Each repair attempt must be documented as a separate corrective action event.