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Department of Safety and Professional Services
Department of Safety and Professional Services

Inspection Guide for Conveyance Welds

 Scope: 

The Department of Safety and Professional Services regulates structural steel welding in Wisconsin specific to conveyances via ASME A17.1, 8.8, 8.7.1.4 and 8.7.1.5. Welding of parts on which the support of the car or counterweight depends, except for tack welds incorporated into finished welds, shall be undertaken only by welders qualified in accordance with Wisconsin Administrative Code SPS 305.34 to the AWS standard for the material being welded.  Welding design must be verified by a licensed professional engineer.  

Who Does Structural Inspections?

Any authorized representative who holds a valid credential issued by Department of Safety and Professional Services per SPS 305 and given the responsibility to enforce structural welding requirements in commercial buildings.

An inspector may be employed by the state, county, municipal or a state contracted authority.

The individual could be a local building, boiler, elevator or other public safety official.

Welding Definitions:

Registered Welder

Person who holds a valid credential issued by the department under SPS 305.34 as a structural welder.

Weld Test Conductor

Person who holds a valid credential issued by the department under SPS 305.35 as a weld test conductor given authority to test structural welders.

Welding Standards Adopted:

SPS 305.004 Adopts the following standards:

  1. AWS D1.1-2010 Steel

  2. AWS D1.2-2008 Aluminum

  3. AWS D1.3-2008 Sheet Steel

  4. AWS D1.6-2007 Stainless

Welder Registration Requirements:

Structural welders shall be qualified in accordance with any adopted standard above.

Individuals shall carry Credential and “Evidence of Completion of Welding Tests” cards on person, make cards available immediately upon request and mark welds as required per SPS 305.34(4)

Example of a Welder Qualification Card:

Form where the first section says Name of Person Taking the Test (first, middle, and last) and then has a section that is fillable for First, Middle, and Last Names. Next to that is a section that says Birthdate (Month, Day, Year). Below that is a section that says Welding Process Used for Qualification Test and the selections are SMAW, GMAW, FCAW, or Other with a fillable section. Below this is split into three columns with 5 total rows. The first row first column is labeled Test Standards SPS 305.004. The column has 4 rows – the first row is labeled AWS D 1.1 Section 4, Part C Structural Welding Steel. AWS D 1.2 Section 3, Part D Structural Welding Aluminum. AWS D 1.3 Section 4, Part C Structural Welding Sheet Steel. AWS D 1.6 Section 4, Part B Structural Welding Stainless Steel. The second row is labeled The next column is labeled Date Passed Test (Month, Day, Year). The rest of this column has fillable sections that go down four rows for the date. The next column is labeled Physical Bend or Radiographic Test (Check Box to Indicate Type of test.) The rest of this column has two check boxes for Physical Bend or Radiographic going down 4 rows.

Visual inspection of Welds:

Inspect for any obvious defects such as cracks, porosity, or incomplete fusion

Example of a cracked weld:

Weld with a crack forming along the direction of the weld.

Examples of weld porosity:

Weld that has developed holes in the line of welding.

Weld that has developed holes in the line of welding.

Examples of incomplete weld fusion:

Welding that does not provide complete coverage or contact with the two surfaces being welded together. There are gaps and separation between the two contact surfaces.

Welding that does not provide complete coverage or contact with the two surfaces being welded together. There are gaps and separation between the two contact surfaces.

What should an elevator inspector do when finding a substandard weld? 

  1. Take pictures and note location of the weld(s) to include weld marks if available.

  2. Require the installing contractor to provide the Name and Qualification Card of the welder and/or the site weld map.

  3. Require that the installing contractor have the weld repaired or re-done.

  4. If possible, ask the opinion of a building code inspector.

  5. Document findings on inspection report and include in the on-site maintenance record.

  6. Notify the Department, forwarding inspection report and pictures to dspssbelevatortech@wisconsin.gov

Additional documents which may be requested:

  • Welding Procedure Specification- WPS

  • Procedure Qualification Record- PQR

  • Welder Performance Qualification-WPQ

  • Welder Continuity Record

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