Does the fabricator's WPS package cover field welds performed by the erector?

Not automatically. The AISC Code of Standard Practice treats fabrication and erection as separate scopes. If the contract assigns erection welding to an entity other than the fabricator, that entity is responsible for providing qualified WPS and certified welders for their scope of work.

Is the erector required to have a CWI for field welds?

Yes, when the project specification or IBC Chapter 17 requires inspection of field welds. The fabricator's designated CWI does not automatically extend inspection authority to the erector's field welding unless the contract explicitly states so and the inspection scope covers both parties' work.

What happens when the same company both fabricates and erects the steel?

When fabrication and erection are performed by the same entity, the WPS library applies to both shop and field operations, provided the WPS covers the positions and joint types used in the field. The company still needs separate field welding procedures if field conditions differ from shop qualification parameters.

Where does AWS D1.1 address the fabricator vs. erector WPS responsibility split?

AWS D1.1 does not directly define the fabricator/erector contract boundary—that is a commercial and contractual matter governed by AISC COSP, contract documents, and the project specification. AWS D1.1 governs the technical requirements for all structural welds regardless of who performs them.

Nov 1, 20266 min read

Who Owns the WPS When the Erector Welds? AISC COSP and AWS D1.1 Explained

The AISC Code of Standard Practice divides fabrication and erection work between two parties. CWIs and QC managers must know who is responsible for WPS documentation when the erector performs field welds.

WPS AWS D1.1 AISC Steel Erection CWI Field Welding QC

New to procedures? Start with WPS welding: what a welding procedure specification is, with a filled-in example.

A plate girder shop-fabricated under controlled conditions. The same girder arrives on site and an erection crew makes the field splice CJP groove welds. Who is responsible for the WPS? Who provides the CWI? If the erector's welder is qualified under a different organization's WPQ records, are those valid under the project specification?

These questions come up on nearly every multi-trade structural steel project, and the answers are not found in AWS D1.1 alone. The standard tells you the technical requirements for every weld—qualification testing, essential variables, documentation. The AISC Code of Standard Practice (COSP) tells you which party in the contract is responsible for which scope of work, including welding.

The AISC COSP Division Between Fabricator and Erector

The AISC Code of Standard Practice for Steel Buildings and Bridges draws a contractual boundary between the fabricator (who produces structural members in the shop) and the erector (who assembles and connects them at the jobsite). These can be the same company or different companies, depending on the procurement structure.

When fabrication and erection are split between separate entities—a fabricator who ships steel and a specialty erector who bolts and welds connections—the erector is not automatically covered by the fabricator's WPS package, quality manual, or inspection program. The erector is an independent contractor responsible for the quality of their own work.

This matters for WPS because a field-bolted connection requires no WPS, but a field-welded connection does. Any field welding—beam-to-column CJP moment connections, field splice welds, flange plate attachments, column splice welds—requires:

A qualified WPS covering the joint type, process, position, and base metals
Welders qualified under that WPS (valid WPQ records)
CWI inspection per the project specification and governing code

If the erector is doing the welding, the erector must either have their own WPS documentation or obtain it from the fabricator by explicit contract arrangement. Assuming the fabricator's WPS covers the erector's field welding scope without that written arrangement is a common project-start error.

How the Project Specification Governs the Split

The project specification—typically written by the EOR referencing AISC 303 (Standard Practice), AISC Chapter N (QC/QA), and AWS D1.1—is the document that allocates welding responsibility between parties. Specifications vary widely in how explicit they are:

Explicit scope allocation: Some specifications state that all field welds are performed by the erector under the erector's welding program, with the erector providing their own WPS, welder qualification records, and field CWI.

Fabricator-scope-only language: Other specifications are written entirely around the fabricator's shop program without addressing erection welding explicitly. In these cases, the EOR may assume the fabricator is doing both shop and field work, which creates a gap if a separate erector is procured later.

Single-entity assumption: Many smaller projects use a single steel contractor who fabricates and erects. Here the WPS library applies to both shop and field operations, but the procedures must still cover field joint configurations and positions. Shop qualification of flat-position (1G, 1F) groove and fillet welds does not cover overhead (4G, 4F) field welds.

The practical takeaway: before steel erection begins, the QC manager should confirm in writing which party holds responsibility for each weld type in the field. Do not assume.

WPS Position Coverage in the Field

Even when a single company performs both fabrication and field erection under one WPS library, the field presents positions that may not be covered by the shop WPS qualification.

A typical shop WPS for flat-position groove welding (1G) qualifies the welder in 1G and 2G (horizontal) per AWS D1.1 position qualification rules. Overhead (4G) and vertical (3G) positions require separate qualification. Field conditions regularly require overhead and vertical welding—column splices made in the vertical position, flange welds made in overhead position under beam flanges, beam-to-column CJP welds made in the horizontal or vertical position depending on the connection geometry.

CWIs reviewing field welding programs should verify that every position used in the field is covered by the WPS and by the individual welders' WPQ records. A welder who is qualified only in 1G attempting a 4G field weld is a non-conformance waiting to happen.

The welding position qualification limits under AWS D1.1 article covers the qualification position coverage tables in detail. For field welding planning, cross-reference the WPS position list against the actual joint orientations in the erection drawings.

Welder Qualification Record Portability

AWS D1.1 welder qualification records (WPQ) belong to the organization that witnessed and documented the test, not to the individual welder. When an erector employs a welder who was previously qualified under a fabricator's program, the erector cannot simply adopt those WPQ records unless:

The original organization transfers the records in writing, OR
The project specification explicitly allows portability between contractors, OR
The erector re-qualifies the welder under their own program

Welder WPQ portability between fab shops explains this in more detail. For field erection crews assembled from multiple union halls or subcontractors, this is a practical compliance issue that should be resolved before the first field weld.

CWI Inspection Responsibility in the Field

AWS D1.1 defines two inspection roles: the Contractor's Inspector (the QC Inspector) and the Inspector representing the owner (the QA Inspector). Under AISC Chapter N, the contractor's inspector is the Contractor Quality Control (CQC) inspector, typically the CWI employed by the fabricator/erector. The owner's inspector is the Contractor Quality Assurance (CQA) inspector, typically a third-party special inspection firm.

When fabrication and erection are separate contracts, the QC inspection responsibility follows the work:

Shop fabrication QC: Fabricator's CWI
Field erection QC: Erector's CWI (or the fabricator's CWI if contractually retained for field inspection)

The QA (third-party) inspector typically covers both scopes but is not a substitute for the contractor's own QC. IBC Chapter 17 special inspection requirements apply to both shop and field welds on Special Inspection-required projects—the special inspector's scope must explicitly cover field welding or gaps will exist.

The contractor QC vs. verification inspection roles under AWS D1.1 article details how these two inspection roles interact and who has authority to accept or reject field welds.

Practical Steps Before Field Welding Begins

Before any field structural welding begins on a project where the erector and fabricator are separate entities:

Confirm who owns the field welding WPS. Get it in the contract documents. If the erector is responsible, require submission of their WPS package for EOR/CWI review before erection begins.
Verify WPS position coverage. Review the erection drawings for every welded connection. Map the position of each weld type (groove orientation, access) to the WPS and welder qualification records.
Audit welder WPQ records. Confirm that the erector's welders are qualified under the applicable WPS, that the qualification records are current (no 6-month continuity lapse per AWS D1.1 Clause 6.4.1), and that the records belong to the erector's organization—not a prior employer.
Establish field inspection hold points. Define pre-weld inspection requirements (joint fit-up, preheat, WPS verification) and post-weld inspection requirements (visual, NDE as required) before production welding begins.
Define the NCR process. Who accepts, documents, and dispositions a field weld non-conformance—the erector's CWI or the third-party special inspector? Get this chain defined in writing before the first weld.

Avoiding the WPS Ownership Gap

The most common failure mode is not technical—it is organizational. Both the fabricator and the erector assume the other party is responsible for field WPS documentation, and the gap is not discovered until an inspector asks to see the WPS for a beam splice weld that has already been made.

At that point, the project faces a retroactive qualification effort, an NCR, and potential structural delay. The cost of resolving the WPS gap after the fact far exceeds the cost of a pre-construction kickoff that addresses it.

Managing your full WPS library—shop procedures and field procedures together, with welder qualification records and inspection history—is exactly the kind of operational challenge a purpose-built platform handles well. See how WPS Welding supports multi-scope welding programs for both fab shop and field erection operations.

FAQ

Frequently asked.

Does the fabricator's WPS package cover field welds performed by the erector?: Not automatically. The AISC Code of Standard Practice treats fabrication and erection as separate scopes. If the contract assigns erection welding to an entity other than the fabricator, that entity is responsible for providing qualified WPS and certified welders for their scope of work.
Is the erector required to have a CWI for field welds?: Yes, when the project specification or IBC Chapter 17 requires inspection of field welds. The fabricator's designated CWI does not automatically extend inspection authority to the erector's field welding unless the contract explicitly states so and the inspection scope covers both parties' work.
What happens when the same company both fabricates and erects the steel?: When fabrication and erection are performed by the same entity, the WPS library applies to both shop and field operations, provided the WPS covers the positions and joint types used in the field. The company still needs separate field welding procedures if field conditions differ from shop qualification parameters.
Where does AWS D1.1 address the fabricator vs. erector WPS responsibility split?: AWS D1.1 does not directly define the fabricator/erector contract boundary—that is a commercial and contractual matter governed by AISC COSP, contract documents, and the project specification. AWS D1.1 governs the technical requirements for all structural welds regardless of who performs them.