Procedure Qualification Record (PQR) — When You Need It (and When You Don't)
A procedure qualification record proves a non-prequalified welding procedure produces sound welds. Under D1.1:2025, prequalified WPSs written to Clause 5 require no PQR at all. Non-prequalified procedures must be qualified by testing per Clause 6.2.1, with essential variables documented in Table 6.6.
Decision tree: If your joint detail, welding process, filler metal, and parameters all fall within the prequalified limits of Clause 5 and Figure 5.1 — no PQR is required. If any element falls outside those prequalified limits, you need a non-prequalified WPS supported by a PQR per Clause 6.2.1.
What Does a PQR Document?
A PQR records the actual welding parameters used during a test weld and the results of destructive testing performed on that weld. It is the physical evidence that a welding procedure produces acceptable results under controlled conditions.
The test weld is performed following a preliminary WPS. After welding, test specimens are removed and subjected to destructive testing — typically guided bend tests, macro-etch examination, and in some cases tensile tests. The specific test requirements depend on whether the procedure is for a CJP groove weld, PJP groove weld, or fillet weld, and whether the application is nontubular or tubular.
The PQR documents the essential variables used during the test: the welding process, filler metal classification, base metal group, preheat and interpass temperatures, electrical characteristics, joint geometry, position, and shielding gas (if applicable). These variables define the boundaries of the qualified WPS. Any production weld made using that WPS must stay within the ranges recorded on the PQR.
D1.1:2025 Table 6.6 lists 35 essential variables for procedure qualification. Clause 6.8 adds supplementary essential variables that apply only when Charpy V-notch (CVN) toughness testing is specified in the contract documents. If CVN testing is required and you change a supplementary variable, you must re-qualify even if the essential variables remain the same.
Do You Need a PQR Under D1.1?
D1.1:2025 provides two distinct paths to a qualified welding procedure specification. The path you take determines whether a PQR is required.
The Prequalified Path (Clause 5)
Clause 5 defines prequalified WPSs — welding procedures that the code has already validated through decades of industry experience. If your procedure meets all of the following conditions, no PQR is required:
The welding process is one of the four prequalified processes: SMAW, SAW, GMAW (except GMAW-S short-circuit transfer), or FCAW. The joint detail matches one of the prequalified configurations in Figure 5.1, including the specified root opening, groove angle, and root face dimensions. The base metal is listed in Table 5.6 and matched with an approved filler metal per Table 5.7. Preheat and interpass temperatures meet the minimums in Table 5.11. And all other provisions of Clause 5 are satisfied, including electrode storage, maximum heat input limits, and pass thickness restrictions.
Many structural fabrication shops work exclusively with prequalified joints. A typical building frame using A992 steel, V-groove CJP joints per Figure 5.1, and E71T-1 FCAW wire qualifies entirely under Clause 5. No test welds. No bend specimens. No PQR.
The Non-Prequalified Path (Clause 6)
When any element of your procedure falls outside the prequalified limits — a joint detail not in Figure 5.1, a welding process not listed in Clause 5, or a parameter outside the prequalified range — you must qualify the WPS by testing per Clause 6.2.1. This requires producing a test weld, extracting specimens, performing destructive tests, and documenting the results on a PQR.
Common situations that require a PQR include: using GMAW-S short-circuit transfer (excluded from prequalified processes), welding a joint geometry not covered in Figure 5.1, welding base metals not listed in Table 5.6, or exceeding the maximum heat input limits specified in Clause 5. Any single element outside the prequalified envelope triggers the requirement.
D1.1’s prequalified path has no equivalent in ASME IX. Under Section IX, every WPS requires procedure qualification — there is no prequalified exemption. This is one of the most significant structural differences between the two codes. For ASME IX or API 1104, separate qualification requirements apply.
What Triggers PQR Re-Qualification?
For non-prequalified WPSs where a PQR is required, the following changes to essential variables trigger re-qualification. Table 6.6 lists 35 essential variables total — these five are the most common triggers in structural fabrication:
- Welding process change
- Switching from one process to another — such as SMAW to FCAW — requires a new PQR. Each process has fundamentally different heat input characteristics, deposition rates, and metallurgical effects. A procedure qualified with SMAW does not demonstrate that FCAW will produce acceptable results on the same joint.
- Filler metal classification change
- Changing filler metal classification — such as E7018 to E71T-1 — requires a new PQR. Different filler metals produce different weld metal chemistry, mechanical properties, and diffusible hydrogen levels. Table 6.6 treats each AWS classification as a separate essential variable.
- Base metal group change
- Moving to a different base metal group per Table 5.6 requires a new PQR. D1.1 organizes approved base metals into groups (I through V) based on chemistry and weldability. A procedure qualified on Group I steel (such as A36) does not automatically qualify for Group III steel (such as A588) because the higher alloy content changes preheat requirements and heat-affected zone behavior. Confirm your steel’s group using your mill test report.
- Welding position change
- Adding a welding position not covered by the original test weld requires a new PQR. A procedure qualified in the flat position (1G) does not qualify for vertical (3G) or overhead (4G) welding. Table 6.6 requires qualification in each position, though a 3G qualification also qualifies 1G and 2G for groove welds.
- Preheat decrease
- Decreasing preheat below the minimum temperature recorded on the PQR requires re-qualification. Preheat directly affects cooling rate, which controls hydrogen diffusion and hardness in the heat-affected zone. The qualified minimum is the floor — production welds may use higher preheat but not lower.
Beyond these five, Table 6.6 covers variables including electrode diameter, shielding gas composition, electrical characteristics (AC vs DC, polarity), travel speed range, and interpass temperature. A change to any single essential variable beyond the recorded range on the PQR invalidates the qualification for production use.
Once the WPS is qualified and production welding begins, Clause 8 governs inspection. Table 8.1 defines visual acceptance criteria for eight discontinuity categories — see the weld defects overview for the complete breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
A PQR proves that a welding procedure actually works — but under D1.1, you may not need one. A procedure qualification record documents a test weld performed under controlled conditions, along with the destructive test results (bend tests, macro-etch, tensile tests) that confirm the procedure produces sound welds. The PQR becomes the evidence that supports a non-prequalified WPS. Under D1.1:2025, prequalified WPSs written to Clause 5 do not require a PQR at all.
No. D1.1:2025 provides two paths to a qualified WPS. The prequalified path under Clause 5 requires no PQR — the code has already validated those joint configurations, processes, and parameters. Only non-prequalified WPSs require qualification by testing per Clause 6.2.1. Many structural fabrication shops work exclusively with prequalified joints and never need to produce a PQR.
A WPS tells the welder what to do — the instructions. A PQR proves those instructions work — it documents a test weld with destructive test results. The WPS is the recipe; the PQR is the proof. Under D1.1, prequalified WPSs per Clause 5 do not require a PQR.
Table 6.6 lists the essential variables for procedure qualification. Changes that require a new PQR include switching welding process (such as SMAW to FCAW), changing filler metal classification (such as E7018 to E71T-1), moving to a different base metal group per Table 5.6, adding a new welding position not covered by the original test, and decreasing preheat below the qualified minimum. Table 6.6 contains 35 essential variables total — these five are the most common triggers in structural fabrication.