Careful examination of structural steel components before their delivery to the construction site helps ensure they meet design specifications and are ready for erection. This involves both visual inspection and nondestructive testing.

Upon receipt from fabricators, material certifications are checked against purchase orders verifying steel grades and coating specifications as required. Certified materials testing reports confirm chemical compositions and mechanical properties comply with standards and were derived from an approved supplier.

Visual checks examine members for overall conformance to approved shop drawings noting dimensions, profiles and cambers. Welds undergo scrutiny for proper size, length and contour according to codes. Connections are assessed for correctness of bolt types and hole sizes matched to attachment details.

Surfaces receive visual examination under adequate lighting to locate cracks, fractures or discontinuities in the steel or disruptions to protective coatings that could compromise corrosion resistance or strength capacity. Furthermore, galvanized and other coated surfaces necessitate thorough inspection for areas lacking appropriate protective layer thickness.

In addition to visual evaluation, nondestructive testing techniques like ultrasonic, magnetic particle, liquid penetrant, radiographic and eddy current methods provide crucial subsurface examination prior to field installation. Certified NDT personnel follow written practices to test for interior flaws, lack of fusion or incomplete penetration in fabrication welds per inspection program requirements.

Test schedules implemented by quality control managers direct frequency of checks to statistically valid sample sizes. Failed areas undergo repairs and reinspection verifying soundness before shipment approval. Certified reports document test methods, results, equipment calibration and inspector qualifications for project records.

Components passing both quality assurance and quality control inspections arrive on job sites ready for dependable installation without rework concerns. This preserves budget and schedule while protecting safety by eliminating potential defects before structural assembly and exposure to service loads.

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