Existing-PQR review · Clause 6

What thickness does an existing PQR actually cover?

Start with the qualification test type and the coupon record. Determine the permitted production base-metal thickness for that branch, then review the deposited weld-metal thickness for each process separately. A single “2T” entry does not answer both questions.

Direct answer: For a qualifying plate CJP groove test in the ordinary Table 6.2 branch, coupon thickness T can establish a nominal base-metal thickness range subject to that row and its notes. It does not automatically give each process a weld-deposit range of 2 × its measured deposit. Other test types and variable limits have their own conditions.

Use two linked records, not one thickness number

Question	Copy from the PQR and project	Where the answer comes from
Which qualification branch?	Coupon form; CJP, PJP, fillet or plug/slot test; joint detail, backing and backgouging; test code edition	Matching Clause 6 method and its table or tubular provision
What base-metal thickness is supported?	Actual coupon thickness on each side and desired production thickness by member	Applicable Table 6.2–6.5 row, notes and exceptions, combined with material coverage
What did each process deposit?	Process sequence, pass record and actual deposited weld-metal thickness for each process segment	PQR record, then applicable essential and supplementary variables for that process
What range will the WPS state?	Target joint, weld size, member thicknesses, position, process sequence and parameters	Intersection of code-supported scope, actual record, intended operating conditions and contract limits

Use the editable PQR coverage matrix to record the coupon value, exact rule/footnote, supported range and final WPS range in different fields.

A bounded CJP plate example

Consider a hypothetical successful ordinary plate CJP qualification with nominal coupon base-metal thickness T = 1/2 in. In the 3/8 in < T < 1 in row of Table 6.2, the table's nominal base-metal thickness range runs from 1/8 in to 2T: here, 1 in. This is a table-row illustration, not a determination that a real PQR supports a specific production weld. The coupon details, test results, material pairing, position, process variables, contract and any applicable exceptions must also fit.

If the same coupon used a root process followed by a different fill process, its total 1/2 in thickness does not tell you how much weld metal either process deposited. Read the pass and deposit record for each segment. A WPS that assigns all 1/2 in to both processes has invented two facts from one coupon dimension.

Important Table 6.2 exception: a square-groove test without backgouging is limited to the test thickness as the maximum qualified thickness. The generic 2T or unlimited result cannot be used for that test configuration.

When the test is not that CJP branch

PJP: identify which Clause 6.12 qualification method was used. A direct PJP test has Table 6.3 weld-size, groove-depth and thickness conditions; a CJP-supported PJP detail follows a different path.
Fillet: Table 6.4 addresses plate/pipe thickness, while single-pass and multipass fillet weld-size limits are established by their actual tests. “Unlimited thickness” in one table column is not unlimited weld size or position.
Plug/slot: use the tested T1/T2 and geometry branch in Table 6.5. Do not apply a CJP plate multiplier.
Pipe and tubular joints: check the applicable test and connection provisions. Plate qualification values do not automatically establish tubular T/Y/K coverage.

Per-process weld deposit is a separate check

For a multi-process PQR, write a line for each process: supporting PQR ID, root/fill/cap segment, filler and diameter, actual deposited thickness, pass record locator, relevant Table 6.6 variable and any Table 6.8 supplementary condition when CVN is required. Retain the process sequence. If the record does not establish a segment's deposited amount or its applicable range, mark that segment unresolved.

Table 6.2's 2T or unlimited base-metal result is not a universal weld-deposit multiplier. A proposed change in process, filler, position, pass arrangement, heat input or PWHT can also limit the WPS even when the production members fall inside the base-metal thickness range. Do not combine the widest endpoints of unrelated PQRs into one unsupported procedure.

The thickness range checker covers selected plate paths and known Clause 5 intersections. It does not inspect a customer's PQR or prove a full qualification.

Basis and next step

Basis: AWS D1.1/D1.1M:2025 base edition plus the project's registered July 28, 2026 base-edition errata; AMD1 is not included. Relevant provisions include Clause 6.11–6.14, Tables 6.2–6.6 and, where CVN applies, Table 6.8; use the actual contract edition and exact row/notes for a project. This page explains the review method and one bounded table example. It is not a qualification certificate or production WPS.

What to submit for a WPS from an existing PQR Download the coverage matrix Edition basis and amendment status

Have a PQR and a target joint?

Submit the complete record and project conditions for a traceable WPS scope review.

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