CWI Practical Visual Inspection 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When inspecting a groove weld with a specified minimum reinforcement, the CWI should verify that the crown height:
- Exceeds 1/4 inch regardless of base metal thickness
- Meets the minimum required and does not exceed the maximum allowed by the applicable code (Correct answer)
- Is flush with the base metal on both sides
- Is at least equal to the base metal thickness
Correct answer: Meets the minimum required and does not exceed the maximum allowed by the applicable code
Weld reinforcement must meet minimum requirements for complete fill while not exceeding maximum limits, as excessive reinforcement can concentrate stress.
Question 2: Arc strikes outside the weld area are considered a defect primarily because they:
- Waste filler metal and time
- Can create hard, brittle spots and stress risers in the base metal (Correct answer)
- Cause weld spatter to accumulate
- Make the weld appearance unacceptable
Correct answer: Can create hard, brittle spots and stress risers in the base metal
Arc strikes create localized rapid heating and quenching that can produce hard martensite and microcracks in the base metal, especially in high-carbon steels.
Question 3: A CWI is examining a pipe weld root pass from the ID (inside diameter). The root bead should be checked for:
- Excessive reinforcement only
- Burn-through, incomplete fusion, and root concavity (Correct answer)
- Color and surface oxidation only
- Correct electrode classification
Correct answer: Burn-through, incomplete fusion, and root concavity
The root pass ID inspection checks for burn-through (excessive melt-through), lack of fusion, and root concavity, all of which are rejectable discontinuities.
Question 4: What does the term 'cold lap' refer to in visual weld inspection?
- A joint where two pieces overlap before welding
- Incomplete fusion between a weld bead and the base metal or previous bead (Correct answer)
- A weld made at temperatures below the preheat requirement
- Interpass temperature that has dropped too low
Correct answer: Incomplete fusion between a weld bead and the base metal or previous bead
Cold lap (a form of overlap/incomplete fusion) occurs when the molten weld metal rolls over the base metal without achieving fusion.
Question 5: When visually inspecting weld spatter, a CWI should be concerned if the spatter:
- Is within 1 inch of the weld toe
- Interferes with required NDE or violates code acceptance criteria (Correct answer)
- Appears on vertical surfaces
- Is the same color as the base metal
Correct answer: Interferes with required NDE or violates code acceptance criteria
Spatter is evaluated based on whether it impairs required nondestructive examination or violates specific code acceptance criteria for the application.
Question 6: During inspection of a multi-pass weld, the inspector finds a crack in an intermediate pass that was covered by subsequent passes. What action is required?
- Document it and allow the weld to continue since it is buried
- Reject the weld — interpass cracks must be repaired before continuing (Correct answer)
- Apply post-weld heat treatment to heal the crack
- Increase NDT coverage on the final weld
Correct answer: Reject the weld — interpass cracks must be repaired before continuing
Any crack discovered during interpass inspection must be repaired before depositing additional weld passes, as buried cracks are unacceptable.
Question 7: What is the purpose of a weld map or weld identification system during visual inspection?
- To show welders where to stand during operations
- To track each weld's location, welder, process, and inspection results for traceability (Correct answer)
- To calculate the weight of filler metal used
- To determine required preheat temperatures
Correct answer: To track each weld's location, welder, process, and inspection results for traceability
Weld maps provide traceability by documenting each weld's location, the qualified welder, process used, and inspection status for quality records.
CWI Practical Visual Inspection 3
When inspecting a groove weld with a specified minimum reinforcement, the CWI should verify that the crown height: