What does structural steel inspection from Qualimet cover?
Structural steel inspection has to keep pace with fabrication and erection to protect design intent and code compliance. Qualimet checks every job against CSA W59 for welding, CSA W178 for inspection and CSA W186 for reinforcing steel, scheduled around your hold points so fabrication and erection keep moving. Inspection tied to CWB fabricator certification under CSA W47.1 and W47.2 connects the result to more than a single weld. It also connects to whether the fabricator’s certification stays intact.
What Qualimet’s structural steel inspection includes
- Review of tender specifications.
- Structural engineering design and specifications checking.
- Certification assistance by the Canadian Welding Bureau.
- Third-party audits and structural testing.
- Welding Procedure Specifications and Welding Data Sheets development.
- Technical support for materials and welding.
- CWB Structural Welder Performance Testing facilitation.
- Production testing, quality programs and quality assurance training.
- Metallurgical testing services, including coatings testing.
- Forensic failure analysis.
Qualimet folds each of these into the same inspection program on your project.
Standards Qualimet’s inspection program covers
- CSA W178.1.
- CSA W178.2.
- CSA W47.1.
- CSA W47.2.
- CSA W59.
- CSA W59.2.
- CSA S16.
- CSA S6.
- CGSB.
- NACE.
- AWS D1.1.
- ASTM E164 and E709.
- Engineer and architect supplementary requirements.
Qualimet checks your project against whichever of these actually govern its scope.
A deficiency caught late doesn’t stay a small problem
A deficiency caught late doesn’t stay small. It shows up as an audit finding against the fabricator’s CWB certification, or a weld that gets rejected after it’s already installed. It can also show up as the rework and schedule slip that follow from pulling a rejected weld back out. Often enough, it also puts real risk on the certification the fabricator needs to keep bidding work at all. The same risk shows up differently for different people. A GC project manager is trying to avoid rework, and an engineer of record is carrying liability if inspection fails. An owner’s rep is on the hook for independent oversight they can’t personally perform. Qualimet sees the audit-finding version most often, and we usually get called in once that finding has already landed. Catching a deficiency at the hold point is the difference that matters.
CWB integration as the structural layer, not an add-on
Inspection on its own tells you whether a weld passed. Tied to CWB fabricator certification under CSA W47.1 and W47.2, it tells you whether the fabricator stays certified. Qualimet runs structural inspection as part of that certification picture, which is what keeps audit findings down, keeps CWB certification intact and cuts the number of welds rejected after installation. Replicating an integrated compliance system tied to actual production is what a generic inspection-only firm can’t do, and it’s why clients who need both keep it under one roof.
How Qualimet’s structural steel inspection runs
- Schedule around your hold points: Qualimet coordinates inspection with your production sequencing so fabrication and erection keep moving.
- Inspect against the governing codes: Qualimet checks structural welds against CSA W59, W178 and W186, tied to CWB certification requirements under W47.1 and W47.2.
- Run NDT with traceable results: Qualimet’s CWB Level II Inspectors and CGSB-qualified technicians tie every result to a stated acceptance criterion for your turnover documentation.
- Flag deficiencies at the hold point, before they’re buried: Catching a problem here keeps it from disappearing into the next stage of your construction.
Qualimet’s credentials
The authority behind every inspection Qualimet performs is backed by real credentials. We’re CWB-certified and hold an ABSA Certificate of Authorization. We’re also an APEGA permit holder, with P.Eng. registrations across six jurisdictions: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and the Yukon. We run our own in-house testing lab and have operated since 1973.
One inspection system, fewer rejected welds after installation
Once inspection runs as part of the same system as CWB certification, retained engineering and qualification, audit findings drop and fewer welds get rejected after installation. Production keeps moving through each hold point. Qualimet connects Structural Steel Inspection into the same system as CWB Retained Engineers, Welding Procedure Specifications, Welder Qualifications and Materials Testing.
Qualimet structural steel inspection questions
Will inspection slow down my fabrication or erection schedule?
Not if it’s scheduled around your hold points. Delays usually come from inspection that’s misaligned or scheduled late. Qualimet coordinates around your production sequencing, so fabrication and erection keep moving while our inspection happens alongside it.
Isn’t the fabricator’s own quality control enough?
Fabricator QC covers their internal process, but it doesn’t substitute for the third-party validation required for formal acceptance and turnover documentation. Independent inspection is what determines acceptance versus rejection under the governing CSA codes. We provide that independent inspection for your project specifically, and our inspectors report to your acceptance criteria.
How does Qualimet’s inspection protect my liability as engineer of record?
Inspection tied to CWB fabricator certification under CSA W47.1 and W47.2 gives you a traceable link between what was inspected and your design intent. Division II retained engineering formalizes that tie back to your sign-off. We tie the inspection record to that sign-off and document the link in your turnover package.
What happens if a Qualimet inspection finds a deficiency?
It gets flagged against the acceptance criteria before the weld is buried in the next stage of construction. Catching it at the hold point keeps rework limited to that piece. We document the finding against your specific acceptance criteria, and we flag it early enough that fixing it doesn’t require tearing back into finished work.
What standards does structural steel inspection follow?
Structural inspection is checked against CSA W59 for welding, CSA W178 for inspection and CSA W186 for reinforcing steel. It’s also checked against the fuller standards set, including CSA W47.1, W47.2, CSA S16, CGSB and AWS D1.1 requirements where applicable to your project. Qualimet checks your project against whichever of these actually apply, and we confirm the applicable list with you before inspection starts.
What’s the difference between Division I, II and III fabricator support?
Division II retained engineering is the core requirement, since it ties inspection results to an engineer of record’s actual sign-off. If you’re Division I or Division III, you get a different layer. That’s compliance-alignment and inspection-integration support, which keeps your process lined up with the same requirements without needing your own retained engineer. Qualimet provides the retained engineering for Division II fabricators and the alignment support for Division I and III. Our CWB Retained Engineers page covers the Division II relationship in full detail.
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