CWI Practical Visual Inspection 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a visual inspection of a fillet weld, you observe that the weld face is excessively convex. What is the primary concern with this condition?
- It indicates incomplete fusion at the weld root
- It creates stress concentration at the weld toes (Correct answer)
- It reduces the effective throat of the weld
- It indicates the use of incorrect filler metal
Correct answer: It creates stress concentration at the weld toes
Excessive convexity creates stress concentration at the weld toes, which can lead to fatigue cracking under cyclic loading.
Question 2: A CWI is inspecting a butt weld and notes the weld crown is lower than the base metal surface. This condition is known as:
- Underfill (Correct answer)
- Undercut
- Overlap
- Concavity
Correct answer: Underfill
Underfill (also called insufficient fill) occurs when the weld face is below the surrounding base metal surface, reducing the weld cross-section.
Question 3: When visually inspecting for overlap on a fillet weld, you are looking for:
- Weld metal that has flowed beyond the fusion zone onto the base metal without fusing (Correct answer)
- A weld that is wider than the specified size
- Excessive reinforcement above the base metal
- Porosity visible at the weld surface
Correct answer: Weld metal that has flowed beyond the fusion zone onto the base metal without fusing
Overlap is unfused weld metal that extends beyond the weld toe onto the base metal, creating a notch-like condition.
Question 4: Which tool is most appropriate for measuring the depth of undercut in a weld?
- Hi-Lo gauge
- Undercut gauge or dial depth gauge (Correct answer)
- Fillet weld gauge
- Welding magnifier
Correct answer: Undercut gauge or dial depth gauge
An undercut gauge or dial depth gauge is specifically designed to measure the depth of groove undercut relative to the base metal surface.
Question 5: During visual inspection, you find surface porosity on a completed weld bead. Which of the following is the most likely cause?
- Excessive preheat temperature
- Contamination such as moisture, oil, or rust on the base metal or filler (Correct answer)
- Improper post-weld heat treatment
- Too slow a travel speed
Correct answer: Contamination such as moisture, oil, or rust on the base metal or filler
Surface porosity is most commonly caused by contamination (moisture, oil, rust, or mill scale) that releases gas during welding.
Question 6: A weld inspector measures a fillet weld leg size and finds it is 3/8 inch on one leg and 1/2 inch on the other. What condition does this describe?
- Acceptable variation within most codes
- An unequal leg fillet weld (Correct answer)
- Undersize fillet weld
- Convex weld profile
Correct answer: An unequal leg fillet weld
When the two legs of a fillet weld differ in size, it is called an unequal leg fillet weld, which may or may not be acceptable depending on the drawing specification.
Question 7: What is the correct sequence for performing a visual inspection of a weld?
- Inspect only after the weld has fully cooled to ambient temperature
- Inspect before, during, and after welding (Correct answer)
- Inspect only the completed weld for final acceptance
- Inspect only when the engineer requests it
Correct answer: Inspect before, during, and after welding
AWS standards require visual inspection before (joint prep, fit-up), during (interpass), and after welding (final visual) for comprehensive quality assurance.
CWI Practical Visual Inspection 2
During a visual inspection of a fillet weld, you observe that the weld face is excessively convex.
What is the primary concern with this condition?