Welding and NDE: Tracking Every Joint from Procedure to Final Report

Every pressure-containing weld in Alberta must be traceable from the approved procedure through the qualified welder to the NDE report. If any link in that chain is missing at turnover, the system cannot be commissioned. This is not a paperwork formality. It is a safety requirement with regulatory teeth. We built the traceability chain as a data model — not as a filing system.

The traceability chain

Weld traceability in Alberta construction QC has four mandatory elements:

1. An approved WPS (Welding Procedure Specification) covering the joint type, base material, filler metal, preheat, and welding parameters
2. A qualified welder certified to that WPS and position, with a current qualification that has not lapsed
3. A weld log entry linking the joint number to the welder, the WPS, and the location on the drawing
4. An NDE record (if required by the ITP or applicable code) proving the weld passed examination

Every element must be present before a weld can be signed off. The absence of any one blocks the inspection closure.

WPS and PQR

A Welding Procedure Specification defines how a weld must be made. Before it can be used on a project, it must be backed by a Procedure Qualification Record (PQR) — a test weld made to the procedure, subjected to destructive testing, and accepted.

In AIMQC, WPS and PQR share a model (WeldingProcedure) distinguished by procedureType. Both are organization-level records — a WPS qualified by one project can be reused on the next.

WeldingProcedure (type = WPS)
  └── procedureNumber (globally unique)
  └── specifications (JSON — parameters, materials, ranges)
  └── approvedBy, approvedDate, expiryDate
  └── linkedPQR → WeldingProcedure (type = PQR)

Welder qualifications

A welder must be qualified to each WPS they use. Qualifications expire — typically after six months of inactivity on the relevant weld type. An expired qualification is not valid.

The WelderQualification model tracks this:

WelderQualification
  └── welderId → Person
  └── wpsNumber → WeldingProcedure
  └── qualificationDate
  └── expiryDate
  └── lastWeldDate (resets the expiry clock)
  └── status: active | expired | suspended

When a welder is assigned to a weld log entry, the system checks that their qualification for the relevant WPS is current. An expired welder cannot be assigned to a weld without a flag.

The weld log

Every weld on a project gets a row in the weld log:

WeldLog
  └── weldNumber, jointNumber, lineNumber, location
  └── wpsNumber → WeldingProcedure
  └── welderId → Person (qualified welder)
  └── weldDate
  └── fitupInspection (JSON — fit-up check results)
  └── inProcessInspection (JSON — in-progress checks)
  └── visualInspection (JSON — visual examination)
  └── ndeRequired, ndeStatus
  └── repairCount, repairHistory (JSON array)
  └── status: pending | inProgress | complete | rejected

Repairs are tracked in the history array. A weld that has been repaired once and then accepted is different, for audit purposes, from one that passed first time. The distinction is visible.

NDE requests and reports

When NDE is required on a weld, an NDE Request is raised and assigned to an NDE technician:

NDE methods covered: RT (radiographic), UT (ultrasonic), MT (magnetic particle), PT (liquid penetrant), VT (visual).

The NDE report links back to the weld log entries it covers, and forward to any drawing stamps that spatially locate the examined joints on the drawing.

Connection to drawing stamps

When a weld stamp is placed on a drawing in the stamp workspace, it creates a DrawingStamp record with stampType = WELD. That stamp is linked to a WeldReport, which shares its report number with the weld log entry. The spatial location of the weld on the drawing is captured at the time of stamping — not reconstructed later.

At turnover, the annotated drawing shows every weld location. The weld log shows every weld record. The NDE records show every examination result. The three together form the complete weld documentation package.

The Alberta regulatory requirement

Pressure-containing welds in Alberta are subject to ABSA jurisdiction. Before a pressured system can be placed in service, ABSA must be satisfied that all required records exist and are complete. The weld traceability chain is a direct input to the AB83 filing. A missing NDE report or an expired welder qualification will halt commissioning.

Building this as a data model — rather than a filing system — means the gaps are visible before they become delays.

David Olsson is CTO at AIMQC. Contact: dolsson@aimqc.com