jj,
The AESS requirement is generated by the AISC, and rails are an exclusion, as they are not deemed as structural elements. We fabricate structural and rails. The look really depends on the location of the rails. For example, if the rails are located on stairs that will not be accessed by the general public, our weld profiles may be uniform but not ground. Our "just needs to look good" means that weld profiles need to be uniform and ground smooth, because everyone will see the rails. Think about it. What's usually the first thing you notice when you walk into a building? For me, I usually notice the rails, then the stairs, then, as I'm looking up at the ceiling at the exposed roof steel, I fall down the stairs. As I'm falling, I grab for the rail, but I end up grabbing a weld on the rail that has not been ground, and I cut my hand. The next thing is to get a lawyer and sue somebody, and that's where the fabricator gets dragged in. Well, you get the picture. It would have been adviseable to sent rail samples to the customer for approval. We still do that from time to time.