What is AWS D1.1 and what does it require for welder qualifications?

• A. It governs electrical hazards and requires PPE compliance.
• B. It defines coating application standards and requires surface preparation.
• C. It governs structural welding and requires welder certification and WPS/PQR usage.
• D. It sets welding speed limits and travel angle requirements.

Answer: (C)

AWS D1.1 is the Structural Welding Code for Steel. It sets how welding work on structural steel is qualified and documented to ensure safe, reliable builds. The key requirement is welder qualification: a welder must demonstrate the ability to produce sound welds using the processes and in the positions that will be used on the project. This is shown through a performance test and documented with a Welding Procedure Specification (WPS) and the Procedure Qualification Record (PQR), which together prove that the procedure can consistently produce acceptable welds. The standard also outlines what processes can be used and how production welds must be performed according to approved procedures. It does not primarily address electrical hazards and PPE, surface coating and prep standards, or generic welding speeds and travel angles, which are outside its main scope, though the chosen WPS will specify the necessary process details for a given job.