Just the Facts
Sturgill
Welding Variables for Welder Qualification
— Part 2: Essential Variables
Essential variables for the qualification of welding personnel are discussed
In Part 1 of this series (Welding
Variables for Welder Qualification —
Part 1: Philosophy, Inspection Trends,
May 2020), we saw that the basic phi-
losophy for the qualification of
welders and welding operators is to
prove their skill in making welds, re-
gardless of the governing code. It is no
surprise, then, that there should be
some commonality in the essential
variables for welder qualification
across these various codes. That is, in-
deed, the case. In fact, for some of
these variables, the qualification rules
are virtually identical in each code. A
survey of these standards would find
the following essential variables in
many (or in some cases, all) of the
codes, as follows:
1. Change in welding process
2. Change in progression for
vertical welding
3. Deletion of solid backing
4. Change in welding position
5. Change in electrode usability
6. Change in diameter
7. Thickness range qualified.
This article provides general obser-
vations about these essential variables
and the ranges for which welders, ex-
cluding welding operators, are quali-
fied when testing with groove welds. It
is not an all-inclusive list of the qualifi-
cation ranges or the permutations
thereof. For complete qualification
ranges and their exceptions, please re-
fer to the specific code.
Welding Process
A change in this variable always re-
quires requalification, reflecting the
fact that each welding process requires
its own skill set. There are always ex-
ceptions, however. (AWS) B2.1,
14 Inspection Trends / August 2020
Specification for Welding Procedure and
Performance Qualification and (ASME)
Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC),
Section IX: Welding, Brazing, and Fus-
ing Qualifications, both allow welders
who qualify with any transfer mode of
gas metal arc welding (GMAW) (except
short-circuiting gas metal arc welding
[GMAW-S]) to qualify for the spray,
pulsed-spray, and globular transfer
mode of both self-shielded and gas-
shielded flux cored arc welding
(FCAW-S and FCAW-G) and vice versa,
except AWS B2.1 limits welders who
qualify using GMAW to the gas-
shielded version of FCAW only.
Welding Progression
Another variable change that re-
quires the requalification of the welder
is a change in progression from uphill
to downhill or vice versa. This variable
change requires requalification in all of
the listed standards. This reflects the
fact that each progression requires its
own unique skill set. For that reason,
the welder must demonstrate each
skill to be qualified for both progres-
sions. For a qualification on pipe in the
horizontal (5G) or 45-deg angle (6G)
position, welding continuously all the
way around the pipe provides exactly
that proof, provided all of the required
test specimens can be obtained and
successfully tested — Fig. 1. For small
pipe diameters, more than one coupon
is usually required to get the required
number of specimens out of the de-
posits made with each progression.
Solid Backing
The deletion of solid backing is an-
other “universal” essential variable for
welder qualification. It is generally
By Paul L.
considered easier to make a groove
weld in a joint having a solid backing
strip than it is to make a weld in an
open-root joint, which has no solid
material to provide support for the
root pass deposit. For that reason, al-
most all of these standards agree that
a welder who qualifies by making a
groove weld in an open-root joint is
qualified to weld both with and with-
out solid backing; conversely, a welder
who qualifies on a solid-backed joint is
only qualified to weld with solid
backing.
In welds involving reinforcing bar,
as governed by AWS D1.4, Structural
Welding Code — Steel Reinforcing Bars,
the joints don’t use backing strips in
the same way that they are used for
welds in plate. Welders are qualified
for either (a) welds made from both
sides with backgouging or from one
side onto a backing strip or (b) partial
penetration welds made from one side
only. There is no option for qualifying
both using a single test.
Welding Positions
Different welding positions require
different skill levels. For instance, a
welder who has demonstrated the skill
to deposit weld metal in the flat posi-
tion may not have the skill needed to
weld overhead. In the qualification
codes discussed herein, the position
qualification rules are all quite consis-
tent. For groove weld qualifications in
plate:
1. Flat position welds qualify flat
grooves and flat and horizontal fillets,
except for (a) ASME BPVC Section IX,
AWS D1.4, and AWS D1.6, Structural
Welding Code — Stainless Steel, which
don’t qualify the horizontal fillet weld
position and (b) AWS D1.3, Structural
Welding Code — Sheet Steel and AWS
D1.9, Structural Welding Code —
Titanium, both of which do not allow
groove welds to qualify fillet welds.
2. Horizontal position groove welds
generally qualify flat and horizontal
groove and flat and horizontal fillet
welds.
3. Vertical position groove welds in
plate generally qualify flat and vertical
groove and fillet welds. AWS B2.1,
ASME BPVC Section IX, AWS D1.1,
Structural Welding Code — Steel, AWS
D1.2, Structural Welding Code — Alu-
minum, AWS D1.4, AWS D1.5, Bridge
Welding Code, and AWS D1.6 add hori-
zontal fillets to this, and AWS D1.1
also adds horizontal groove welds.
4. Overhead groove welds typically
qualify only flat and overhead groove
and fillet welds. ASME Section IX,
AWS B2.1, AWS D1.1, AWS D1.2, AWS
D1.4, AWS D1.5, and AWS D1.6 add
horizontal fillet welds in plate to this
qualification. For these codes, a 3G
and a 4G test would qualify the welder
for all positions.
5. AWS D1.1, AWS D1.2, AWS
D1.4, AWS D1.5, and AWS D1.9 allow
combination testing in both the verti-
cal (3G) and overhead (4G) positions
to qualify for all positions in plate.
ASME BPVC Section IX, AWS B2.1,
and AWS D1.6 require horizontal (2G),
3G, and 4G tests to qualify for all posi-
tions in plate.
6. Fillet weld qualifications only
qualify welders to make fillet welds.
7. The 6G position in which the
pipe is stationary at a 45-deg angle, in
most cases, qualifies welders for all
positions.
8. AWS D1.3 requires separate
qualifications for groove welds and fil-
let welds, including for positions.
9. AWS D1.9 also requires any
welder who wants to make a fillet weld
to have a groove weld qualification
first, in addition to the required fillet
weld test.
10. API 1104, Welding of Pipelines
and Related Facilities, speaks an entire-
ly different language and requires sep-
arate qualifications for the “fixed” or
“position” welding, in which the pipe
is stationary compared to “roll” weld-
ing in which the pipe is usually hori-
zontal and rolled under a torch or elec-
trode fixed at top dead center. For field
welding of pipe, roll welding is rarely
used and is mainly confined to shop
welding of spool pieces.
Fig. 1 — Welder qualification rules permit a plate qualification to qualify for limited welding
on large diameter pipe. The ranges qualified, however, vary slightly from one code to the
next.
example, for welding of nickel-based
Electrode Usability alloys, an F-Number 43 qualification
would not qualify a welder using the
This variable addresses the ease of
same process to use an F-Number 45
manually manipulating molten weld
electrode.
metal. AWS has assigned F-Numbers
In AWS D1.2, all of the electrodes
to electrodes, based on their usability,
are assigned F-Number 21 through 25,
to reduce the number of qualifications
so any F-Number 2X electrode quali-
required. This is the variable used by
fies them all. On the other end of the
all the codes discussed herein with the
spectrum, in AWS D1.9, a change in
exception of API 1104, which groups
electrode classification, even within an
electrodes by Group Numbers, which
F-Number, requires requalification.
are different than F-Numbers.
For AWS D1.4 and D1.5, welders are
For carbon and low-alloy steel elec-
limited to using only the electrode
trodes used for shielded metal arc
classifications listed in the code, but
welding (SMAW), the electrodes be-
any one within a process qualifies all
come more difficult to use as the F-
within that process. However, these
Numbers increase from F-Number 1
are all F-Number 4 (low-hydrogen
through F-Number 4.
SMAW electrodes) or F-Number 6 sol-
In AWS D1.1 and D1.3, both of
id or flux-cored wires anyway.
which are limited to carbon and low-
In AWS D1.6, a change of F-
alloy steels, welders using SMAW are
Number within a given process re-
qualified to use any electrode whose F-
quires requalification. In addition to
Number is equal to or less than that
stainless steel-to-carbon steel weld-
used for qualification. For example, an
ments, the scope of AWS D1.6 in-
F-Number 4 qualification would quali-
cludes several stainless steel filler met-
fy the use of electrodes assigned to F-
als that have elevated nickel contents,
Numbers 1 though 4. For the other
which are assigned F-Number 43. The
welding processes in these codes, a
scope of F-Numbers in AWS D1.6,
change in F-Number requires requalifi-
therefore, includes F-Number 4 elec-
cation, but all of the other solid and
trodes for SMAW of carbon and low-
flux-cored wires for gas-shielded and
alloy steels and martensitic and ferrit-
flux-shielded arc welding of carbon
ic stainless steels; F-Number 5 elec-
and low-alloy steels are assigned to F-
trodes for SMAW of austenitic and du-
Number 6.
plex stainless steels; F-Number 6 elec-
In AWS B2.1 and ASME BPVC Sec-
trodes (solid and flux-cored wires for
tion IX, both of which cover all base
the gas-shielded and flux-shielded arc
metals, the F-Number rule for SMAW
welding processes); and F-Number 43
of carbon and low-alloy steels is the
(nickel-based solid wires for gas-
same as that described above for AWS
shielded arc welding).
D1.1. In addition, a change in F-
In API 1104, the Group Number
Number requires requalification. For
August 2020 / Inspection Trends 15
assignments do not correlate with the
AWS F-Number system. For SMAW, a
change to or from Group No. 3 elec-
trodes, which are low-hydrogen elec-
trodes, requires requalification. For all
other listed processes, welders are
qualified for all electrodes listed within
the assigned Group; but, each Group
only has a few listed classifications.
Welders can, however, qualify with un-
listed electrodes, but those qualifica-
tions are limited to the electrode
tested.
Diameters
Small diameter pipe, tube, and bar
require more manual dexterity to weld
than large diameter pieces. As the
weld progresses around the outside di-
ameter of a small-diameter piece, the
welder must continually change the
angle of the torch or electrode, as well
as the filler metal during manually fed
processes, to maintain the correct arc
length, position, and pool control. This
adjustment must occur much more
quickly with small diameters than
with larger ones.
AWS D1.4 states that welders “shall
be qualified on the smallest bar size to
be used in production.” ASME BPVC
Section IX, AWS B2.1, and AWS D1.6
have the following identical qualifica-
tion ranges: diameters less than 1 in.
qualify all diameters equal to and
greater than the diameter tested; di-
ameters between 1 and 278⁄ in. qualify
diameters of 1 in. and greater; and di-
ameters greater than 278⁄ in. qualify 278⁄
in. diameters and greater.
AWS D1.1 has different qualifica-
tion ranges depending on whether the
welder is qualifying on complete joint
penetration (CJP) groove welds or CJP
groove welds in T-, Y-, or K- connec-
tions. Generally, larger diameter
coupons are required to qualify
welders for unlimited diameters, but,
even then, the minimum diameter
qualified is similar to that tested.
Smaller diameter coupons are required
to qualify the smaller diameter ranges.
AWS D1.2 and D1.9 use a different
methodology and qualify discreet di-
ameter ranges. The qualification
ranges in the two codes are different.
There are no diameter range rules
in AWS D1.3 and D1.5.
As for API 1104, diameter qualifica-
tion ranges for cross-country pipeline
welders are quite different. For a single
qualification, the diameter qualifica-
16 Inspection Trends / August 2020
tion ranges are less than 278⁄ in., 278⁄ in.
thru 12¾ in., and greater than 12¾ in.
There is a multiple qualification option
that allows a welder to qualify for
“everything” if he/she successfully
makes the following two test welds,
both on pipe 658⁄ in. in diameter or
greater having a wall thickness of ¼ in.
or more: one groove weld in a butt
joint and one overhead branch-on-pipe
connection weld.
Thickness Range for
Groove Welds
For welder qualification, some
codes address the range of base metal
thicknesses the welder can weld, while
others only specify limits for how
much weld metal he/she can deposit.
Welding Procedure Specifications
(WPSs) specify limits on the base met-
al thickness that can be welded. Since
all welds must be made in accordance
with a WPS, ASME BPVC Section IX,
AWS B2.1, and AWS D1.6 choose to
only specify limits for how much weld
metal the welder can deposit using a
given electrode classification and
process. In these codes, when a welder
deposits a minimum amount of weld
metal (12⁄ in. per Section IX and 34⁄ in.
per B2.1 and D1.6) in the test coupon,
there is no maximum on the amount
of weld metal he/she can deposit using
a specific electrode and process, free-
ing him/her to make partial penetra-
tion or complete joint penetration
welds using any WPS for which he/she
is qualified. Otherwise, the welder is
qualified to deposit no more than
twice what he or she deposited in the
the coupon.
All other AWS structural codes, as
well as API 1104, only specify the
thickness of base metal he/she can
weld. In those cases, the welder must
make production welds within both
the base metal thickness range for
which he/she is qualified, as well as the
base metal thickness range of the gov-
erning WPS. There are no rules for de-
posit thickness per process and elec-
trode classification or for partial pene-
tration welds. The base metal thick-
ness qualification ranges for welders in
these codes vary considerably.
Base Metals
Since the AWS structural welding
codes D1.1, D1.3, D1.4, and D1.5 are
limited to carbon and low-alloy steels,
welders qualifying to these codes are
qualified to weld only the carbon steel
and low-alloy steels within the scope
of the code. The same is true for API
1104.
In AWS D1.6, welders who qualify
using any of the base metals within
the scope of AWS D1.6, or who qualify
using Group I or II base metals in AWS
D1.1, or who qualify in accordance
with AWS B2.1 are qualified to weld
any of the base metals in AWS D1.6.
In AWS D1.2, welding personnel are
qualified to weld all base metals within
the scope of the code. The same is true
for the personnel qualifying in accor-
dance with AWS D1.9.
Summary
Although the essential variables for
qualifying welders are virtually the
same in each code discussed in this ar-
ticle, the ranges qualified for each are
not exactly the same and can some-
times vary significantly from code to
code. Each code should be consulted to
determine the precise range for which
any given welder is qualified.
Qualification codes have non-
mandatory, or suggested, forms that
can be used to document the qualifica-
tion of welding personnel. Although
codes do not always explicitly describe
the variables to be documented on a
performance qualification form, I rec-
ommend the following:
1. The qualification code
2. The year edition
3. The date the tests were
successfully completed
4. All of the essential (or
qualification) variables
5. The ranges qualified for each
essential variable
6. The test results
7. Certification by the employer.
Providing these qualification ranges
will make it easier for the welding su-
pervisor to ensure that welders are
only assigned to welds for which they
are qualified.
Can procedures or welders be quali-
fied to more than one code using one
set of test coupons? We’ll find out in
an upcoming edition.
PAUL L. STURGILL
(lynnsturgill@gmail.com) is a Senior Cer-
tified Welding Inspector, ASNT Level III VT
Instructor, 3-A Certified Conformance
Evaluator, and owner of Sturgill Welding
& Code Consulting, Ellettsville, Ind.