Inspection Trends
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November 2026
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Built from the Bottom Up
Welding codes and standards may appear to be finished authorities, assembled by institutions and delivered to the industry as definitive books. However, every clause, requirement, revision, and commentary is the result of a continuing process driven largely by volunteers.
see moreWhat You Do Matters
As Certified Welding Inspectors (CWIs), we show up, look at welds, write a report, and repeat. That routine can feel humdrum, but the work is important. I travel across the country investigating failures, and I have seen both competent welders and CWIs miss consequential conditions.
see moreThe Answer Is
Q: I passed my Certified Welding Inspector exam recently, but I’m having a difficult time understanding exactly how alloying elements interact with iron and how they influence the properties of metal. Can you provide an overview of the basics of alloying steels?
see moreAdvancing Offshore Marine Riser Inspection
Marine risers are among the most critical components in offshore oil and gas infrastructure, providing the essential connection between subsea production systems and surface facilities.
see moreThe Role of Human Judgment in AI-Augmented Welding Inspection
Walk through any modern factory, hospital, or office, and you are sitting, standing, or moving surrounded by welds. Chairs, vehicles, structural beams, pressure vessels, and the electrical systems powering daily life all rely on welds whose integrity depends on inspectors trained to see what most people cannot.
see moreCWI Corner: Forged Through Community
Robert “Bob” Wisehart had just graduated from the local community college when an ironworker introduced him to the apprenticeship program he now directs.
see moreBuilding a Compliant and Functional AWS QC47 Quality Assurance System
The AWS Accredited Test Facility (ATF) program has undergone significant modernization. With the retirement of AWS QC4, Standard for Accreditation of Test Facilities for AWS Certified Welder Program, and QC7, Standard for AWS Certified Welders, along with the introduction of AWS QC47, Specification for AWS Certification of Welders and Accreditation of Test Facilities, ATFs are now required to meet a unified, more rigorous standard for welder performance qualification.
see moreWhy Conflict of Interest Matters in Welding Inspection
Integrity is one of the most valuable assets a welding inspector possesses. Technical knowledge, certifications, and experience are essential, but they carry little weight if clients’ confidence in an inspector’s objectivity is compromised.
see moreThe Geometry of Failure: How Internal Weld Profiles Drive Corrosion-Erosion
There is a moment, right after a weld passes inspection, when everyone involved feels a quiet sense of closure. The joint meets the requirements, the reports are signed, the coating is applied, and the system moves forward. On paper, the weld is sound. In service, however, especially inside a pipeline, a weld becomes something very different: a geometric and metallurgical disturbance in a moving environment.
see morePublication Archive
View past issues of our magazines, including Welding Journal Research Supplement in PDF format.