Civil Engineering Association

The Guide for the Nondestructive Inspection of Welds was first prepared by the AWS B1 Committee on Methods of Inspection in 1977. The next edition was published in 1986, with updates to current industry practices. The 1999 and this current edition incorporate an overall edit and improvements to the figures.
The purpose of this guide is to give the reader an overview of the more common examination methods available without unnecessary detail and to provide an aid in deciding which method is generally best suited for the examination of a given weld.
The words examination, evaluation, inspection, and testing are considered synonymous when describing various non-destructive examination methods.
This guide has been prepared by the AWS B1 Committee on Methods of Inspection to serve as a simple but reliable source of general information. It is not intended that this document provide complete and comprehensive coverage of the subject. There are many reference manuals available. For more comprehensive coverage of the activities of the welding inspector, this guide should be used in conjunction with the AWS Welding Inspection Handbook, which provides a more thorough description of the duties and responsibilities of welding inspectors, the techniques and characteristics of the usual nondestructive examination methods, and the major aspects of sampling and documentation required for an adequate quality control system. For other references on the subject of inspection, refer also to the technical documents suggested in Clause 2, Normative References, and Annex E, Informative References. Annex A summarizes the required equipment, applications, advantages, and limitations of each of the seven examination methods covered in the document. Annex B is adapted from Part C—Nondestructive Examination Symbols of AWS A2.4:2007, Standard Symbols for Welding, Brazing, and Nondestructive Examination. Annex C provides a list of typical application standards and the addresses of the standards developers. Annex D provides guidelines for making inquires to AWS committees. Comments and suggestions for the improvement of this standard are welcome. They should be sent to the Secretary,AWS B1 Committee on Methods of Inspection, American Welding Society, 550 N.W. LeJeune Road, Miami, FL 33126.