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What Does a PQR Document?

A PQR records the actual 溶接 parameters used during a 試験溶接 and the results of 破壊試験 performed on that 溶接. 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 完全溶込み開先溶接, PJP 開先溶接, or すみ肉溶接, and whether the application is nontubular or tubular.

The PQR documents the essential variables used during the test: the welding process, 溶加材分類, 母材群, 予熱 and interpass temperatures, electrical characteristics, 継手形状, position, and シールドガス (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. Table 6.8 (referenced in Clause 6.8) lists supplementary essential variables that apply only when Charpy V-notch (CVN) toughness testing is specified in the 契約図書. 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 溶接施工要領書. The path you take determines whether a PQR is required.

The Prequalified Path (Clause 5)

Clause 5 defines prequalified WPSs — welding procedures that the 基準 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 ルート間隙, 開先角度, and ルート面 dimensions. The 母材 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 電極 storage, 最大 入熱 limits, and pass 板厚 restrictions.

Many 鉄骨製作 shops work exclusively with prequalified joints. A typical building frame using A992 steel, V形開先 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 using parameters outside prequalified Table 5.5 tolerances. 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 製作:

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 溶接金属 chemistry, 機械的性質, and 拡散性水素 levels. Table 6.6 treats each AWS classification as a separate 重要変数.

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 溶接性. A procedure qualified on Group I steel (such as A36) does not automatically qualify for Group II steel (such as A588) because the higher alloy content changes preheat requirements and 熱影響部 behavior. Confirm your steel’s group using your mill test report.

Welding position change

Adding a 溶接姿勢 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 最小 温度 recorded on the PQR requires re-qualification. Preheat directly affects 冷却速度, 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 電極径, shielding gas composition, electrical characteristics (AC vs DC, 極性), 溶接速度 range, and パス間温度. 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 検査. Table 8.1 defines 目視 受入基準 for eight 不連続 categories — see the weld defects overview for the complete breakdown.

ASME IX PQR Requirements

Under ASME Section IX, every WPS must be backed by a PQR — there is no prequalified exemption. The PQR documents the actual welding conditions and destructive test results from a 試験片 welded per QW-200.

Test coupon preparation. The test coupon must be welded by a 溶接士 or welding operator under the full supervision of the qualifying organization. The coupon base metal must be assigned a P-Number in Table QW/QB-422. The welding process, filler metal F-Number, position, and all essential variables must be recorded during welding.

Destructive testing. ASME IX requires tension tests per QW-150 (two specimens, must meet the minimum tensile value from QW/QB-422) and guided bend tests per QW-160 (four specimens — two face bends and two root bends, or four side bends for thicker material). The bend specimens must withstand 180-degree bending without open discontinuities exceeding 1/8 inch in any dimension. Impact testing per QW-170 is required when the referencing construction code mandates toughness testing.

Essential variables. ASME IX organizes essential variables by welding process in Tables QW-252 through QW-265. A change in any essential variable requires a new PQR. The three most impactful essential variables are: base metal P-Number change (QW-403.18), filler metal F-Number change (QW-404.4), and addition or deletion of PWHT (QW-407.1). Unlike D1.1 which has a single list of 35 variables, ASME IX tailors the variable list to each welding process — SMAW has different essential variables than GMAW or GTAW.

Dissimilar Metal Welding and PQR Qualification

Dissimilar metal welds — joining two different P-Number materials — are common in power plants, refineries, and chemical processing where 炭素鋼 piping transitions to ステンレス鋼 or alloy steel components. Each dissimilar P-Number combination requires its own qualified WPS supported by a PQR.

Under ASME IX, QW-424 defines the rules for 異種金属 procedure qualification. A PQR qualified on P-Number 1 to P-Number 1 (carbon steel to carbon steel) does not qualify P-Number 1 to P-Number 8 (carbon steel to austenitic stainless steel). The filler metal selection for dissimilar joints must be compatible with both base metals — typically a higher-alloy filler is used (e.g., ERNiCr-3 or E309L for carbon steel to stainless transitions).

Under D1.1, dissimilar base metal group joints also require separate qualification per Clause 6. A PQR qualified on Group I to Group I does not cover Group I to Group III. The filler metal must match the higher-強度 base metal group per Table 5.7.

Common dissimilar metal combinations:

• P1 to P8 (carbon steel to austenitic stainless) — power plant transition pieces, heat exchanger tube-to-tubesheet
• P1 to P5A (carbon steel to 2.25Cr-1Mo) — refinery reactor piping transitions
• P8 to P43 (stainless to Inconel) — chemical processing, high-temperature service
• P1 to P4 (carbon steel to 1.25Cr-0.5Mo) — boiler and heat recovery applications

PQR Documentation and Record Keeping

A PQR is a permanent quality record. It must be maintained for the life of the equipment or structure it supports. Under ASME codes, the Authorized 検査員 reviews and signs the PQR. Under D1.1, the 製作者’s designated representative signs the PQR.

The PQR must include: the actual welding parameters used (not ranges — the specific values recorded during the test weld), the base metal 仕様書 and P-Number, the filler metal classification and F-Number, the preheat and interpass temperatures actually used, the PWHT parameters if applicable, and all destructive test results with pass/fail determination. The PQR must reference the WPS it supports.

Multiple WPSs can reference the same PQR, provided each WPS stays within the qualification ranges established by that PQR. Conversely, a single WPS can be supported by multiple PQRs if the combined qualification ranges of those PQRs cover the full range of variables specified on the WPS.

Every PQR is tied to a specific welding procedure specification (WPS) — the PQR test validates that the WPS parameters produce acceptable mechanical properties and soundness under the applicable code.

Key Takeaways

• D1.1 prequalified WPSs need no PQR. Only non-prequalified procedures require 資格試験. ASME IX has no prequalified path — every WPS needs a PQR.
• The PQR records actual values, not ranges. The specific parameters used during the test weld are documented. The WPS defines the ranges; the PQR proves the procedure works at specific conditions within those ranges.
• Dissimilar metal joints need separate PQRs. Each P-Number combination must be independently qualified under both ASME IX and D1.1.
• Multiple WPSs can reference one PQR as long as each WPS stays within the PQR’s qualification ranges.

"The PQR is the foundation of the welding program. Every non-prequalified weld on the project traces back to a PQR that proved the procedure works."

D1.1:2025 Clause 6.2.1 requires procedure qualification testing for any WPS not meeting the prequalified requirements of Clause 5

Reference data from AWS D1.1/D1.1M:2025 and ASME BPVC IX:2025. Not affiliated with AWS or ASME.