CAWI case studies
CAWI · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Certified Associate Welding Inspector (CAWI) is a professional credential offered by the American Welding Society (AWS), listed among its certification programs alongside the Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) and Senior Certified Welding Inspector (SCWI). It is designed for individuals who support welding inspection activities and wish to demonstrate foundational knowledge of welding inspection practice. The CAWI exam covers four equally weighted domains: welding inspection and certification fundamentals; welding processes, procedures, and qualifications; welding metallurgy, materials, and weldability; and weld examination, testing, and code compliance. Preparation typically combines study of AWS codes and standards, the AWS A3.0 standard terminology, and hands-on familiarity with inspection tools and documents. The CAWI case studies are 5 cases and about 3,125 words.
1The Expired Eye Exam and the Family Connection
You are a CAWI employed by an independent inspection agency and assigned to a structural steel fabricator for a six-week school project. At the pre-job meeting you discover that the welding foreman is your brother-in-law.
668 words, about 3 min2The Gas Switch and the Thick Production Joint
A fabricator is using a WPS/PQR for FCAW-G on a new project. The PQR was made on 1/4-in.
670 words, about 3 min3Cracks That Appeared After the Truck Left
A 4140 steel shaft, 8 in. diameter, is being rebuilt at a journal.
593 words, about 3 min4The Radiographic Substitute for a Required UT
On a 12-story steel frame, the engineer of record requires ultrasonic testing of complete-joint-penetration groove welds in beam-to-column moment connections under AWS D1.1. The joint is a T-joint with a 1-in.-thick A572 Grade 50 column flange and a 1-in.
593 words, about 3 min5The Electrodes Left in the Feeder
A pressure-vessel shop is welding a 2-in.-thick A516 Grade 70 shell course with E7018-H4R electrodes. The electrodes arrive in hermetically sealed containers and are stored in a holding oven at 250 F.
601 words, about 3 min