clause5.io/ welding/ aws-d1-1/ aws-d1-1-2025-changes

Structural Change: New Clause 2

The first thing to check when transitioning from D1.1:2020 to D1.1:2025 is the clause numbering. D1.1:2025 introduces a standalone Clause 2 — Normative References, formalizing content that was previously embedded in subclause 1.9 and Annex S. The code retains 11 main clauses. Always verify clause references against the edition you are working under — cross-edition references to clause numbers should be confirmed against the actual text.

New terms added to Clause 2 include formal definitions of allowable strength, available strength, design strength, and matching/undermatching/overmatching filler metals — vocabulary that was used in the code but not formally defined in prior editions.

Clause 5 — Prequalification: Table Overhaul

The most impactful change for WPS writers is the restructuring of the prequalified WPS tables in Clause 5. The single combined Table 5.1 from D1.1:2020 has been split into four process-specific tables:

Filler Metal Matching Threshold

Table 5.7 (2025) redefines matching filler metal strength requirements. Below 60 ksi minimum specified yield strength, filler metal tensile strength may exceed the base metal by up to 20 ksi. At or above 60 ksi minimum yield, the maximum overmatch is limited to 10 ksi. This tighter overmatching limit for higher-strength steels is codified in Clause 5.6.3.

Shielding Gas Oxygen Equivalent (New in Clause 5.6.4)

A new Clause 5.6.4 defines the Oxygen Equivalent (OE) for GMAW and FCAW shielding gases: OE = %O&sub2; + 0.5 × %CO&sub2;. Production shielding gas must either comply with the electrode manufacturer’s OE limits or match the gas used in the electrode classification test. This was an area of ambiguity in 2020 and is now explicitly defined.

GMAW-P Pulsed Spray Now Explicitly Recognized

Pulsed spray transfer (GMAW-P) is now explicitly listed as a recognized transfer mode in prequalified WPS requirements, PQR qualification, and welder performance qualification. Prior editions did not clearly address GMAW-P in the prequalification clause, creating uncertainty about whether pulsed spray WPSs could be prequalified. The 2025 edition resolves this: GMAW-P has a defined path in all three contexts.

New Base Metal: A913 Grade 80 and Group V

D1.1:2025 adds ASTM A913 Grade 80 as the only member of the new Group V in Table 5.6. A913 achieves 80 ksi minimum yield strength through quenching and self-tempering (QST) rather than alloying — which means it has lower carbon content and better weldability than its yield strength alone would suggest.

The practical consequence: A913 Grade 80 is assigned Category G preheat, which requires H4 electrodes only (4 mL/100g diffusible hydrogen maximum) but uses the same temperature schedule as Category B — 32°F up to 3/4 in, 50°F from 3/4 to 1½ in, 150°F from 1½ to 2½ in, and 225°F over 2½ in. That is the same preheat as Grade 50 A992, despite the 80 ksi yield. The H4 electrode requirement is the constraint that makes these low temperatures safe.

A913 is available in rolled shapes only — primarily large wide flange sections over 100 lb/ft used in columns and moment frames. It is not available in plate or bar. Grades 50, 65, and 70 were in prior editions; Grade 80 is the 2025 addition.

Preheat Changes: Three New Categories

Table 5.11 now has seven categories (A through G) compared to four in the 2020 edition. The three additions:

Cast steels per ASTM A216 were also added to Categories A and B. A710 Grade A (all classes) was added to Category D. A913 Gr50 and Gr65 — already in earlier editions — received an additional preheat path at Category D (H8 electrodes, 32°F for all thicknesses).

A separate but related change: in Clause 6, the word “should” for preheat and interpass temperatures was changed to “shall.” Preheat and interpass temperatures are now mandatory fields in every qualified WPS — not recommendations.

A5.36 Withdrawn

AWS A5.36 — the specification covering flux-cored and metal-cored electrodes with open arc and shield gas — was withdrawn entirely. D1.1:2025 replaces all A5.36 references with the conventional A5 electrode specifications:

• A5.18 — Carbon steel electrodes for GMAW (solid wire)
• A5.20 — Carbon steel electrodes for FCAW
• A5.28 — Low-alloy steel electrodes for GMAW and GTAW
• A5.29 — Low-alloy steel electrodes for FCAW

Any WPS, PQR, or filler metal submittal referencing A5.36 electrodes must be updated. For existing projects under D1.1:2020 contracts, A5.36 references remain valid for that contract. For projects specifying D1.1:2025, only the current A5 classifications apply.

Clause 8 — Inspection Changes

Clause 8 received the most expansive update of any inspection clause. Changes affect visual acceptance criteria, NDT personnel certification, MT/PT procedures, and the introduction of phased array UT.

Table 8.1 — Visual Acceptance Criteria

Discontinuity classification (Clause 8.10.1): Linear and rounded discontinuities are now formally defined. A discontinuity is linear if its length exceeds three times its width. A discontinuity is rounded if its length is three times its width or less. Cleaning and drying before evaluation is now explicitly required before applying MT or PT acceptance criteria.

Item (7) — Undercut (updated): Two tightened limits added. For short welds under 12 inches in total length, accumulated undercut depth greater than 1/16 inch may not exceed the weld length × 0.16 (16% of the weld length). For cyclically loaded connections in tensile stress zones, the undercut depth cap is tightened to 0.01 inch — significantly more stringent than the 1/32 inch limit that applies elsewhere.

Item (8) — Piping Porosity (new rules for short welds): New acceptance limits for welds under 12 inches in length: the sum of visible piping porosity diameters shall not exceed weld length × 0.06. For cyclically loaded non-CJP groove welds transverse to tensile stress, the limit is one pore per 4 inches of weld with a maximum pore diameter of 3/32 inch. See the weld defects guide for the full Table 8.1 breakdown.

MT and PT Provisions Expanded

D1.1:2025 substantially expands the procedural requirements for magnetic particle testing (MT) and penetrant testing (PT). Prior editions provided minimal procedural detail for these methods within D1.1 itself. The 2025 edition aligns MT/PT terminology and procedures with ASNT SNT-TC-1A and ASME standards, reducing reliance on external procedural references and increasing consistency in application.

NDT Personnel Certification

NDT personnel certification now explicitly accepts ISO 9712 alongside the existing ASNT pathways (SNT-TC-1A employer-based qualification and CP-189 or CP-9712 third-party certification). This broadens international equivalency recognition and removes a prior ambiguity about whether ISO-certified inspectors were acceptable under the code. ISO 9712 is widely used outside North America.

New Annex H — Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT)

A new informative annex, Annex H, formally recognizes Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT) as an alternative to conventional UT for weld examination. Annex H provides procedural requirements for PAUT, a method that was in widespread industrial use but had no formal home in D1.1 prior to the 2025 edition. For inspectors using PAUT on structural steel projects, Annex H is now the D1.1-referenced basis for the procedure.