By welderbrent
Date 02-26-2010 21:45
Edited 02-26-2010 21:47
Kip, hope you keep up with this,
Thank you, Misuse of terms and not worded as clearly as it could have been. Basically your explanation comes back to the well gone over 'Qualified vs Certified' as far as Welders go.
And from an employer/client position, whether gov't entity, private investor protecting his investment, GC, etc, no matter 'Who' has qualified the inspector, 'How many' qualifications he has, 'What' (UT, PT, MT, etc) qualifications he has they need to verify his ability to competently perform the work they have need of testing. Experience and education are definitely important to prove and hone knowledge and skill and to prove the inspectors ability to competently complete/perform his assigned task. Obviously adding to the ability of a customer to chose a competent individual without having to be in doubt as to HOW competent he is and whether or not they made the right choice.
My post in response to Hg was mainly pointing out that AWS had indeed already encroached upon the "turf" of others by adding the Bolting Endorsement and then wondering if they were indeed doing it again with the NDT modes or whether they were going to work 'WITH' ASNT. Between yourself and Joe Kane I think my questions about the AWS reasons and chosen path are clearer now. And I, for one, do not have a problem with that course. In my little sphere of a community if it is done by AWS then it is expected to be of exceptional quality producing quality personnel that can handle the job needing to be done. They are allowing AWS/CWI with Bolting Endorsement for Structural Steel Special Inspectors because the belief is that those people will be as qualified to do the job as people with ICC/ICBO SSW qualifications.
Bottom line to me: Do as much as possible through AWS and support them. Then, if someone has stated in the Job Specs, General Notes in the Structural Prints, Contract Docs, etc that they want ASNT or ICC- CHALLENGE IT!! Man I do a lot of work with on TPI's used to only have ICC SSW and his ASNT Level III UT, MT & Level II PT (by 'only', no AWS/CWI). He used to go to the engineer or who ever was main decision maker if the job called for AWS/CWI and get an allowance made because of his qualifications and experience. At other times, if the job was large enough, he did all the NDT work and I did all the VT. MOST always it was not a problem. He has since added the AWS/CWI to his qualifications as well. POINT- it can be done either way. We just need to operate within the acceptable practices for qualifying for the work at hand and pressure engineers, Building Authorities, General Contractors to accept the AWS Quilifications until it is known, understood, and proven to be as available and trustworthy as any other in current use. And YES, for a time, there may be some who will NEED more than one. Don't try to get them to accept just one as they change the system. They need to recognize that qualified inspectors should be accepted regardless of which agency qualifies them.
It would soon boil down to which organization had the best educational opportunities, best pricing, best support services, best reputation for producing quality people who complete quality jobs consistantly. That is part of our great free enterprise system, competition. These things will be determining factors by those wanting to get qualified as well as those seeking inspectors.
I felt the same reservations, as others here have expressed about NDT, about who I should get qualified to do Bolting Inspections through. After talking with those we do our TPI work for, the City authorities around here listing Special Inspectors, engineers seeking our services, etc I saw only positive responses toward the AWS program. I see no reason for thinking any NDT Program that AWS comes up with would be any different.
And, as I pointed out in another thread, several areas of inspections listed in the IBC do not specify to what standard, organization, or school an inspector should be qualified to or from. They only state the the inspection will be done to such and such a standard. Welding is an exception, "Welding inspection shall be in compliance with AWS D1.1. The basis for welding inspector qualification shall be AWS D1.1." (IBC, Section 1704.3.1) Not ICC, AISC, or whoever, BUT, AWS D1.1. And all their manuals on various building quality always devault to AWS for almost ALL things welding. That says something about AWS's reputation.
Just my two tin pennies worth and thank you Kip and Joe for your responses and helping me to understand the direction and reason for it that AWS is taking in the NDT area.
Have a Great Day, Brent