AWS D1.1:2025 — What Changed and What QC Managers Need to Know

By Timothy Dodd AWS CWI #00120381 · ICC S2 #8184186

Published: May 15, 2026

Read time: ~14 minutes

What AWS D1.1:2025 Actually Is

AWS D1.1/D1.1M:2025, Structural Welding Code — Steel, is the 25th edition of the foundational code that governs welded steel construction in the United States. ANSI approved it on March 19, 2025. It supersedes the 2020 edition and represents five years of accumulated changes — including new technology adoption, errata corrections, alignment with current AISC structural design practice, and updates driven by the withdrawal of related specifications.

D1.1 has been on a five-year revision cycle since the 2010 edition. The cycle is synced with the publication of ANSI/AISC 360 (Specification for Structural Steel Buildings) and the International Building Code, so the 2025 edition reflects coordination with the most current versions of those companion documents.

The 2025 edition is identified by underlined text in the clauses, subclauses, tables, figures, and forms — that's how AWS marks changes from the 2020 edition. A vertical line in the margin of a table or figure indicates a change from the 2015 edition. Anyone working through the code in detail can identify exactly what's new by looking for those markers.

The summary below covers what fabrication shops, welding coordinators, QC managers, and project engineers actually need to know. It is not a comprehensive code-revision academic paper. The focus is on practical impact: what to update in your documents, what to leave alone, and what to consider when bidding new work under the 2025 edition.

Change #1: AWS A5.36 Filler Metal Removal — The Practical Headache

The single most impactful practical change in D1.1:2025 is also the most administrative. References to AWS A5.36 filler metal classifications have been removed throughout the code, because AWS A5.36 was withdrawn as a published specification.

AWS A5.36 was originally created to consolidate carbon and low-alloy steel flux-cored and metal-cored electrodes into a single classification system. The reasoning was sound — multiple specifications (A5.20, A5.29) had grown to cover overlapping electrode categories, and a unified specification would simplify selection. In practice, integrating A5.36 into the code created enough complexity that AWS withdrew the specification in 2020. D1.1:2025 reflects that reality by removing all A5.36 references.

The electrodes themselves still exist. The classifications still exist. What changed is the specification document they're filed under:

This is a paperwork update, not a re-qualification event. The electrodes are the same. The welders qualified to use those electrodes are still qualified. What's changing is the document classification citation on the WPS itself. The work involves about 15 minutes per WPS for most shops — but it does need to happen before submitting WPS packages to a new project under D1.1:2025.

Change #2: A913 Grade 80 — A New Prequalified Base Metal

For shops working with high-strength structural steel, the addition of ASTM A913 Grade 80 as a prequalified base metal is a significant practical change. A913 Gr80 has a minimum yield strength of 80 ksi and a tensile strength of 95 ksi, and it's produced by the Quenching and Self-Tempering (QST) process used by certain mill suppliers.

Prior to D1.1:2025, welding A913 Gr80 required either qualifying a WPS by testing (with a full PQR supporting it) or working under a separate procedure approval. With the 2025 edition, A913 Gr80 joins the table of approved base metals for prequalified WPSs — meaning fabricators can use it on prequalified procedures, eliminating the time and cost of WPS qualification by testing.

Several supporting changes accompanied the addition:

• New base metal Group V was added to the approved base metals table specifically for A913 Gr80
• New preheat Category G was added — at the same temperature requirements as Category B (which covers A992 and A572 Grade 50)
• Diffusible hydrogen limit of H4 (4 mL/100 g or less) is required for prequalified welding of A913 Gr80
• Matching electrodes were defined for the new strength level

A913 Gr65 also moved from preheat Category C to Category B, which is a smaller change but worth noting if your shop welds A913 Gr65 — preheat requirements just got more lenient for that grade.

Why does this matter beyond the high-end shops working with QST steel? Because A913's combination of higher strength with lower carbon content is increasingly attractive for trusses, columns, and short-span beams — applications where weight savings translate directly to cost reductions. The 2025 code's inclusion of Gr80 as prequalified makes the steel more accessible to a wider range of fabricators.

Change #3: LRFD Methodology Added to Clause 4

Clause 4 (Design of Welded Connections) added subclause 4.7 (Strength), which incorporates both Allowable Stress Design (ASD) and Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) methodologies. LRFD is the design approach used in ANSI/AISC 360, Specification for Structural Steel Buildings. Adding it to D1.1 aligns the welding code with modern structural design practice.

For most fabrication shops, this is invisible — the engineer of record specifies design loads and methodologies in the project documents, and the fabricator follows the engineer's design. But for engineers working under D1.1, the change matters: design strength values for welded joints can now be calculated using either ASD or LRFD methodology, and D1.1:2025 provides design tables (new Table 4.3) and figures (new Figure 4.7) supporting both approaches.

Underlying assumptions about dead-to-live load ratios and structural reliability in the new LRFD provisions align with what AISC 360 already uses — so engineers familiar with AISC LRFD design will find the D1.1 treatment consistent and familiar.

Change #4: Type D Studs Introduced

D1.1:2025 introduces a new stud category: Type D studs, produced from deformed wire or bar conforming to ASTM A706/A706M. Type D studs are typically used in embedded plate applications and reinforced concrete contexts where flush profiles or higher bond strength are needed.

Adding Type D studs to the code means:

• WPS qualification is now defined for Type D stud welding
• Welder qualification on Type D studs is now required
• Both procedures and welders need documented qualification before Type D stud welding is performed on D1.1 projects

For shops not doing stud welding at all, or doing only conventional Type A/B/C stud work, this change is irrelevant. For shops doing embedded plate or specialized concrete-embedded structural work, Type D stud qualification is the new path forward.

Change #5: Digital Radiography Officially Accepted

Radiographic testing under D1.1 has historically been film-based. The 2025 edition explicitly accepts Computed Radiology (CR) and Digital Radiology (DR) as alternatives to traditional film RT for weld inspection.

Along with the acceptance of digital methods, the code added geometric unsharpness limitations and revised the equation for calculating geometric unsharpness to match the equation in ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section V, Article 2. The methodology for determining the attenuation factor was also updated.

For shops that have invested in digital RT equipment over the last several years, the 2025 code finally provides explicit code coverage rather than requiring engineering judgment or owner approval to use those technologies. For shops still using traditional film RT, no change is needed — film remains an accepted method.

Change #6: ASNT Certification Required for NDT Personnel

The 2025 edition clarifies that nondestructive testing personnel performing RT, UT, magnetic particle, liquid penetrant, and other NDT methods are required to hold ASNT (American Society for Nondestructive Testing) certification. The prior edition left some ambiguity about which qualification standard applied.

The clarification eliminates the gray area. Shops using in-house NDT staff or third-party NDT contractors should verify that personnel hold current ASNT Level II (or higher) certification appropriate to the inspection method being performed. The clarification brings D1.1 NDT requirements into line with the standard practice in structural steel fabrication.

Change #7: New Annex H — Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT)

D1.1:2025 adds Normative Annex H for phased array ultrasonic testing, along with commentary supporting the annex. PAUT has been used in fabrication shops for years through engineering judgment and owner approval, but it now has explicit code coverage.

This matters for shops performing or specifying PAUT inspection on weld quality — the annex provides the procedures, acceptance criteria, and qualification requirements specific to PAUT under D1.1. For shops doing conventional UT only, no change is needed.

Change #8: Welder Qualification — Mostly Steady, Some Refinements

This is where many readers will care most. Clause 6 (Qualification) received refinements but no wholesale changes to welder qualification testing.

Key Clause 6 changes:

• Clause 6.4.1 — Welder qualification continuity (six-month rule): Unchanged. A welder must use the qualified process at least once every six months or the qualification for that process lapses. Re-certification with a fresh test plate is required to restore the qualification.
• Clause 6.8.4 — Preheat and interpass temperature qualification: Refined to define preheat minimum requirements and interpass minimum AND maximum temperatures (the maximum is new for impact-tested or material-limited applications)
• Clauses 6.11 through 6.14 — Qualification extents for CJP, PJP, fillet, and plug/slot welds: Reorganized and clarified — most content is the same as the 2020 edition but better organized
• Clause 6.15 — Consumables Verification Test: Moved out of fillet weld qualification clause to its own location, because it applies to other weld types as well
• Clause 6.17.5 — Extent of Qualification for personnel: Clarifies that welders qualifying with a CJP groove weld remain qualified for PJP groove welds, fillet welds, plug and slot welds, and tack welds (this codifies what was already practical understanding)
• Plug and slot weld qualifications: Now have their own WPS qualifications with corresponding specimen and testing requirements. Table 6.5 and Figure 6.17 are new
• Figure 6.21: Consolidates several previous welder and welding operator test coupon figures into one clearer reference

The bottom line for welder qualification: existing WPQ records issued under D1.1:2020 remain valid. The fundamental qualification approach hasn't changed. What's been refined is the clarity of how qualification extents work, what additional weld types require their own qualification (plug and slot), and how preheat is documented during qualification.

Change #9: WPS Documentation — Tighter Requirements

The 2025 edition strengthens WPS documentation requirements:

• Preheat and interpass temperatures must now be listed on every WPS, with methods for establishing minimum preheat defined through tables, Annex B calculations, or qualification tests
• Maximum interpass temperature must be recorded when impact toughness or material limits apply
• Table 5.3 introduces minimum amperage requirements for GMAW solid wire based on electrode diameter
• Preheat extension distances are now defined based on material thickness (preheat must extend a specified distance from the weld, scaled to thickness)
• New Table 5.7 for prequalified WPS shielding gas options for GMAW electrodes conforming to A5.18/A5.18M

For fabricators using prequalified WPSs, the additions tighten the documentation but don't fundamentally change how prequalified WPSs are developed. The supporting tables in the 2025 code make the requirements explicit rather than implied.

Change #10: Inspector Qualifications Clarified

Changes to inspection personnel requirements help ensure that all welding inspectors are formally qualified. The 2025 edition clarifies:

• Welding inspectors must be qualified under AWS QC1 (CWI, CAWI, or SCWI), or under equivalent standards such as Canadian CSA W178.2
• The Engineer's responsibilities for inspection are clarified
• NDT personnel must hold ASNT certification at the appropriate level

These changes don't affect shops that already employ properly certified CWIs and ASNT-credentialed NDT personnel. They formalize what good shops were already doing.

What Did NOT Change

To prevent over-reaction, it's worth being explicit about what stayed the same in D1.1:2025:

• Welder qualification six-month continuity rule (Clause 6.4.1): Unchanged
• Visual acceptance criteria for groove welds: Largely unchanged from D1.1:2020
• Existing WPQ records: Remain valid under their original edition
• Existing PQRs: Remain valid (only the WPS referencing them needs to be updated if it cited A5.36)
• Plate qualification positions: 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G, and 3G/4G combined remain the same configurations
• Pipe qualification positions: 5G and 6G remain the same
• The basic structure of qualification testing: CWI visual inspection followed by guided bend tests or radiographic testing
• Clause 11 (Strengthening and Repair): No substantive changes — for that work, refer to AWS D1.7 for additional repair-specific provisions

What QC Managers Should Actually Do

Working from highest impact to lowest, here's a practical action list for QC managers, welding coordinators, and fabrication owners:

How WeldCertTest Supports D1.1:2025 Qualifications

WeldCertTest performs welder performance qualification testing under D1.1:2025 (and prior editions when projects require them). All visual inspection is performed by Timothy Dodd, AWS CWI #00120381 and ICC S2 Structural Welding Inspector #8184186. Bend testing is conducted at an accredited laboratory using calibrated equipment.

For welders qualifying under D1.1:2025 specifically, the qualification process is unchanged from D1.1:2020. Your welder runs the test plate at your facility under a qualified WPS, ships it to Alpharetta, Georgia, and the WPQ comes back signed and ready for project use. See the full process →

If you need help confirming whether your project's specification is calling for D1.1:2025 versus an earlier edition — and which one to qualify under — call (404) 860-1288 or submit a quote request with your specification language.

Frequently Asked Questions

About the Author

This article was written and reviewed by the same CWI who performs all visual inspection for WeldCertTest.

Timothy Dodd

AWS CWI #00120381 • ICC S2 #8184186

AWS Certified Welding Inspector and owner of Xenogenesis, LLC. Performs all CWI visual inspection for WeldCertTest welder qualification testing under AWS D1.1, ASME Section IX, API 1104, AWWA C206, D1.6, D1.3, and D1.7.

Roger Baldwin

Site Owner & Operator

Owner and operator of WeldCertTest.com. 28 years in the broader nondestructive testing industry, including 20 years operating a ground-penetrating radar and NDT imaging company.