Inspection, testing and correction – the CC3 inspection regime

What Section 13 requires overall

Section 13 is the verification layer of AS/NZS 5131. Clause 13.1 requires that inspection and testing at every stage – procurement, fabrication, surface preparation, painting, galvanizing and erection – follows a documented inspection and test plan (ITP) using documented procedures. Where a quality plan is required (see the quality management chapter), the ITPs sit inside or are attached to it.

The minimum ITP content is the list in Clauses 13.3–13.12, plus anything added by the construction specification and any inspection options selected from Appendix B, Tables B1 and B2. Inspection may be performed by first, second or third parties, and every result, follow-up action and correction must be recorded. Across the section the inspection report has the same five essentials: who inspected, which item, when, against which requirement, and the result.

The designer nominates the construction category and the construction specification governs the project. The extents below are the Standard's minimums or recommendations; refer to the current edition of AS/NZS 5131 for the full requirements.

CC3 ITP reference table

The table below is a practical framework for a CC3 fabrication-and-supply ITP. The witness column shows typical practice, not a requirement of the Standard – the contract decides who attends.

Competency of inspection personnel

Each subsection names a competency requirement. The informative notes give benchmarks: for materials, preparation and erection, a relevant trade qualification or standards experience plus more than 10 years in steel fabrication or erection; for surface treatment and paint, a certified coatings inspector (NACE/AMPP or Australasian Corrosion Association) or an equivalent. For welding, Clause 13.6.1.3 is firmer: inspectors must be qualified to the application Standard, and NDE other than visual must be performed by AS ISO 9712 Level 2 personnel, or Level 1 under Level 2 supervision.

Welding inspection and NDE extent by construction category

Full detail is in the welding chapter; the logic in Clause 13.6 is summarised here. NDE extent must be set in the construction specification by weld category and connection.

*Required when the specification calls for it, welding is subcontracted, or an inspection authority or the principal inspects. "Critical" butt welds are those in tension flanges, cruciform joints and restrained joints near plate edges. For Australian structures in earthquake design categories D and E, the greater of Table 13.6.2.2(A) or (B) applies.

• Ramp-up: inspect the first five connections of a new WPS (or double the specified rate), at least 1.0 m of weld per WPS, then drop to random spot checks while results stay compliant.
• Escalation: a failed length triggers two further lengths either side; a nonconforming weld triggers root-cause investigation and re-examination.
• Timing: Table 13.6.2.1 sets minimum hold times before NDE – up to 48 hours for thick, high-heat-input welds in higher-strength steel – and the elapsed time must appear on the NDE report.
• Sampling: spread across joint types, steel grades, processes and welders; inspect welds before they become inaccessible.

Bolting, coatings, erection and secondary elements

• Mechanical fastening (13.7): an ITP is required above CC1. Snug-tight joints are checked for bolt position, grade, thread projection and firm ply contact. Tensioned joints at CC2–CC4 are checked by part-turn marks or direct-tension indicators, sampled to ISO 2859-5; no more than 10% of compressible DTIs may be fully compressed. See mechanical fastening.
• Surface treatment and paint (13.8–13.9): ITPs are required at Coating Quality Level PC2, listing calibrated equipment and sample forms. A pre-painting condition report and inspection after priming are mandatory gates. See corrosion protection.
• Galvanizing (13.10): inspection follows AS/NZS 4680; variation in hue is not grounds for rejection unless the specification says so.
• Erection (13.11): pre-erection checks of anchor bolts, levels and grids; post-erection checks of alignment, connections, coatings and grout, plus a survey to the site grid using ISO 7976 methods at a 20°C reference temperature.
• Secondary elements (13.12): purlins and girts are checked for profile, coating class, laps, bridging, alignment and snug bolts.

Nonconformance and correction

Material lacking adequate documentation is treated as unidentified steel (Clause 13.3.7), which the design Standards take as 170 MPa yield until statistically sound testing proves otherwise. Offcuts returned to stock need their heat number transferred under a documented procedure (Clause 13.3.9). Dimensional nonconformities are corrected and rechecked, or compensated under a written nonconformance procedure (Clause 13.4). Weld defects are repaired to a qualified procedure and re-inspected to the original extent; engineering critical assessment is allowed only if the specification permits it and both principal and fabricator accept it (Clause 13.6.2.5). Defective bolted joints are dismantled, corrected and fully re-inspected (Clause 13.7.7).

Giving the inspector access when the fabricator is offshore

For a fabricator thousands of kilometres from site, the ITP is also the access plan. A workable CC3 arrangement includes:

• Hold and witness points agreed at ITP approval, with notice periods that allow for travel and NDE hold times.
• Video witness for fit-up, VT, DFT and dimensional checks, recorded and filed against the piece mark.
• Pre-shipment inspection before packing is closed, so nonconformances are fixed in the factory, not on site.
• Records in English, traceable to drawing and piece mark, compiled into a handover dossier.

Independent verification of the system itself – such as World Steel's AS/NZS 5131 CC3 certification and ISO 3834-2 – reduces but never replaces project inspection.

Appendix I – New Zealand only

Appendix I is informative and optional in New Zealand, but becomes binding once specified. It sets weld NDE extent from a failure consequence category (A major, B moderate, C minor) combined with a seismic weld demand level (high, medium, low) tied to member category in NZS 3404 frames. It adds magnetic particle testing of k-areas in heavy hot-rolled sections where cut or welded, mill certificates for tensioned bolts in category A and B joints, and bolt tension verification methods.