Gentlemen,

An interesting legal question has come up.

National consensus Codes and Standards are voluntary until local jurisdictions and local building Code give them the force of law.  The ASME B&PV Codes and the ASME B31 Codes for Pressure Piping are mandated by local jurisdictions and by State, Commonwealth and Province Building Codes.

Of course the AWS welding symbols are shown AWS A2.4:2007, Standard Symbols for Welding, Brazing, and Nondestructive Examination.  In North America these symbols are generally accepted and used on drawings as a means of communicating the design of the welds.  I would think that the ASME B&PV Codes and the ASME B31 Codes for Pressure Piping would make some reference to AWS A2.4 but I cannot find any reference to AWS A2.4 and the AWS symbols in any ASME B&PV Code or any ASME B31 Codes for Pressure Piping.

The question is where in the ASME Codes is the necessary reference to the AWS welding symbols that would include these symbols on the Codes and therefore give these symbols legal legitimacy (in case of litigation) and the force of law?  I am looking for some connectivity that would give the ASW welding symbols unambiguous force of law by being referenced by (therefore included in) the ASME Codes.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Regards, John