API 1169 cheat sheet

API 1169 establishes minimum inspection requirements for onshore pipeline construction from preconstruction through restoration.

Before construction, verify approved drawings, specifications, permits, landowner agreements, and environmental constraints match the work area.

The construction inspection plan defines inspection scope, hold points, witness points, frequencies, and documentation requirements.

Hold points require inspector acceptance before work proceeds; witness points require notification but not necessarily stoppage.

Verify contractor quality procedures, welding procedures, coating procedures, and testing plans are approved before mobilization.

Confirm the chief inspector and craft inspectors have qualifications and authority consistent with API 1169 and project requirements.

Preconstruction meetings should establish communication, document control, nonconformance reporting, and inspection coverage for all shifts.

Check that survey control, alignment sheets, and as-built recording methods are established before clearing or grading.

Verify pipe and components carry specified markings, heat numbers, size, grade, wall thickness, and specification.

Match mill test reports to heat numbers and confirm chemistry and mechanical properties meet project requirements.

Reject pipe with dents, gouges, ovality, coating damage, or out-of-tolerance dimensions unless repair is approved.

Store pipe on supports that prevent rolling, ground contact, and coating damage; cap ends to keep out water and debris.

Inspect lifting equipment, slings, and padding to prevent coating and pipe wall damage during handling.

Confirm inspection and test equipment has current calibration traceable to recognized standards.

Verify consumables such as electrodes and coating materials are stored, handled, and used per manufacturer requirements.

Check that equipment used for excavation, bending, welding, coating, and testing is suitable and maintained.

Classify soil and rock before excavation; use protective systems where required by OSHA or project safety plans.

Keep spoil, equipment, and materials back from trench edges to reduce surcharge and prevent cave-ins.

Provide safe access and egress within 25 feet of travel for workers in trenches 4 feet or deeper, per OSHA.

Inspect excavations daily and after rain or other hazard-increasing events before workers enter.

Trench width and depth must allow pipe installation, bedding, coating protection, and safe worker access.

Bedding must provide uniform support and protect coating; backfill must be free of debris, frozen material, and excessive rock.

Control water with pumps, ditches, or diversions to keep trench bottom stable and dry.

Verify crossings, utilities, and foreign pipelines are located, exposed, supported, and protected before excavation.

Check pipe grade, wall thickness, and heat number before installation to confirm the correct material is used.

Field bends must meet specified radius, ovality, and wrinkle limits; reject bends with cracking or coating damage.

Use internal line-up clamps to align pipe ends, maintain root gap, and control high-low misalignment.

Verify alignment and elevation against drawings before welding; correct unsupported spans and sags.

Lowering-in must use padding and multiple slings to prevent coating damage and excessive pipe stress.

Verify pipe ends are clean and free of damage before fit-up; remove contaminants that could affect weld quality.

Confirm crossing spans, casings, and supports are installed at required locations and clearances.

Record bend locations and angles for as-built documentation and future excavation safety.

Welding must follow an approved Welding Procedure Specification supported by a qualified Procedure Qualification Record.

Welders and welding operators must be qualified for the process, position, and material they will weld.

Verify preheat, interpass temperature, filler metal, and joint preparation meet the WPS before welding.

Visual inspection checks for cracks, undercut, porosity, incomplete fusion, high-low, and cap profile.

Nondestructive examination methods, coverage, and acceptance criteria must follow project specifications and referenced standards.

Repair welds require approved procedures and re-inspection; remove or repair unacceptable defects before coating.

Record weld locations, welder identification, inspection results, and repairs in weld logs.

Protect completed welds from moisture and rapid cooling when required by the WPS.

Verify coating surface preparation meets the specified cleanliness and profile before application.

Measure dry film thickness after curing and compare with specification minimum and maximum limits.

Perform holiday detection on coatings where required to find pinholes, voids, and thin areas.

Field joint coating must match the mainline coating system and be applied per approved procedure.

Repair coating damage before lowering-in; recheck repaired areas for thickness and holidays.

Inspect lowering-in operations for coating damage and pipe stress; use padded slings and rollers.

Cathodic protection tests verify pipe-to-soil potential and electrical isolation meet design criteria.

Backfill material adjacent to coated pipe must be free of sharp rock and debris that could damage coating.

Hydrostatic testing verifies strength and leak tightness by filling the section with water and holding specified test pressure.

Test pressure and hold time must follow design, code, and project requirements; monitor and record pressure and temperature.

Test water must meet project limits for chlorides, solids, corrosivity, and biological content.

Air or gas testing is limited by code and project requirements; water is preferred for hydrostatic strength testing.

Dewater and dry the pipeline after testing as required to prevent corrosion and hydrate formation.

Commissioning verifies valves, launchers, receivers, instrumentation, and controls operate as designed.

Restoration includes regrading, erosion control, revegetation, drainage repair, and removal of temporary facilities.

Final inspection confirms as-built records, test records, and restoration acceptance are complete.

Excavations 5 feet or deeper require protective systems unless the competent person determines stable rock or an acceptable slope.

Atmospheric testing is required before entry into confined spaces and must continue while workers are inside.

Spill prevention, containment, and response plans must cover fuel, oil, chemicals, and hazardous materials on site.

Erosion and sediment controls must be installed before ground disturbance and maintained until stabilization.

Wetland, waterbody, and cultural resource restrictions must be verified against permits before crossing or clearing.

Traffic control, flagger, and work zone plans must protect workers and the public during construction.

Hazard communication, PPE, and emergency response requirements apply to all construction activities.

Report environmental releases, permit deviations, and safety incidents promptly to the required authorities.