When should a WPS scope review happen?

Before any production welding starts — ideally during the preconstruction or kickoff phase, after the structural drawings and project specifications are received and before material is cut or fit-up begins.

Who is responsible for the WPS scope review?

The fabricator's CWI or QC manager owns it. On design-build or EPC projects, the review should be coordinated with the structural engineer of record (EOR) to confirm which code edition and connection details govern.

What if we find a gap — a joint type with no matching WPS?

You have two paths: (1) determine whether a prequalified WPS under AWS D1.1 Clause 5 can cover it without a PQR, or (2) initiate a PQR test program before that connection type is welded. Never weld without a WPS — it's a nonconformance under any structural code.

How do we document the scope review?

At minimum, a sign-off matrix: joint type vs. WPS number, with column entries showing whether each joint is covered, the WPS revision, the supporting PQR (if tested), and the CWI signature. Keep it in the project quality file.

Pre-Production WPS Scope Review: A Fab-Shop Checklist

Before welding starts, map every joint type in the project drawings to a valid WPS. Here's the step-by-step scope review process a CWI or QC manager should run.

A WPS scope review is one of the highest-leverage QC activities a fab shop can run. Done right — before a single arc is struck — it prevents mid-production stops, rejection of welds, and the expensive scramble to qualify new procedures while the steel schedule slips.

The process is straightforward: take the complete set of project drawings and specifications, inventory every distinct weld joint configuration the project requires, and confirm that your existing WPS library covers each one. Gaps get resolved before production. No surprises.

Here is a practical walk-through for a CWI or QC manager running this review on a structural steel project under AWS D1.1:2025.

Step 1: Gather the Governing Documents

Before you open a single drawing, collect the full document set. You need:

Structural fabrication drawings — shop drawings reviewed and released for construction, not the engineer's preliminary set.
Project specification — specifically the welding specification section (often AISC 10 format or Division 05 in CSI), which will call out the governing edition of AWS D1.1 and any supplementary requirements.
Contract requirements — any reference to owner-specific welding standards, inspection levels, or NDE rates beyond the code minimum.
Applicable code — confirm whether the project requires AWS D1.1:2025, D1.1:2020, or another edition. The AHJ or contract may specify a prior edition; this directly affects which table of essential variables governs. See the disclaimer at the end of this article.

If any document is missing, stop. Running a scope review against incomplete drawings will produce an incomplete matrix, and you will catch the gap only when the fabrication is already in progress.

Step 2: Inventory the Joint Types

Work through the drawings systematically and build a joint inventory. For each weld callout, record:

Joint configuration — groove (CJP or PJP), fillet, or combination.
Base metals — both pieces, with ASTM grade and thickness. A joint between A572 Gr 50 and A572 Gr 65, for example, is a dissimilar-thickness combination that affects preheat and may affect the WPS qualification range.
Welding position — 1F/2F/3F/4F for fillet; 1G/2G/3G/4G for groove. Structural positions are often mixed; overhead groove welds are common in field-erected conditions.
Process requirements — if the drawing or spec specifies a process (e.g., SMAW only for certain repair zones, or SAW for main flanges), note it.
NDE requirements — RT, UT, MT, PT callouts, or reference to table-driven sampling. This affects which weld acceptance criteria apply.
Demand-critical or seismic designation — connections designated as demand-critical under AWS D1.8 have additional requirements for CVN toughness and electrode classification.

Most structural projects contain 5–15 distinct joint type combinations when fully catalogued. Complex jobs (multi-story moment frames, plate girder fabrication, bridge structures) may run to 30 or more.

Organize the inventory in a spreadsheet. One row per joint type; columns for each attribute above. This becomes the left column of your coverage matrix.

Step 3: Cross-Reference Your WPS Library

With the joint inventory in hand, pull your WPS library and compare.

For each joint type on the inventory, identify the WPS that covers it. Record the WPS number, revision, and the basis for its validity — either prequalified under AWS D1.1 Clause 5 or qualified by test with a supporting PQR.

Key checks at this step:

Process match. The WPS must specify the same welding process (SMAW, GMAW, FCAW-G, SAW, GTAW) as the production plan. A SAW WPS does not cover FCAW-G production.

Position coverage. Confirm the WPS qualifies the positions the project requires. A groove WPS qualified in the flat position (1G) does not qualify for vertical (3G) or overhead (4G) without a separate test or a prequalified position provision. Review WPS qualification range for thickness and position to understand how position qualification ranges work under AWS D1.1.

Thickness range. For tested WPS (Clause 6), the qualified thickness range is typically from half the test plate thickness to twice the test plate thickness (capped at the maximum tested), per the essential variable table. Verify the thickest and thinnest joint on the project fall within range.

Base metal coverage. Confirm the WPS base metals — or the PQR test materials — match or are approved substitutes for the project materials. AWS D1.1 Table 6.9 defines base metal groupings that govern cross-qualification. If your PQR used A572 Gr 50 and the project introduces A572 Gr 65, check whether the grouping allows coverage or a new PQR is needed.

Filler metal and classification. Under AWS D1.1:2025 Table 6.6, filler metal classification is an essential variable for most processes. Confirm the filler metal on the WPS matches what is stocked and planned for production. A classification change (including an AWS A5 classification upgrade that crosses the E70xx to E80xx boundary for SMAW) requires a new WPS or requalification.

CVN / supplementary essential variables. If any joints are demand-critical or subject to CVN requirements per AWS D1.1:2025 Table 6.8, verify the WPS carries the supplementary essential variables — filler metal CVN classification, maximum heat input limits, minimum preheat. These are often missing from WPS documents drafted before the project's seismic designation was confirmed.

For a detailed look at what constitutes a complete WPS submittal package, see WPS submittal package: what the EOR review requires.

Step 4: Identify Gaps and Plan Resolution

Any joint type on the inventory with no matching WPS is a gap. Flag it immediately. You have two resolution paths:

Path A — Use a prequalified WPS. AWS D1.1 Clause 5 allows WPS documents to be written without a PQR test, provided all of the prequalification conditions are met: the base metal is on the prequalified list, the joint geometry conforms to Annex B, the filler metal matches Table 5.2, the preheat meets Table 5.3, and the process/pass parameters fall within Clause 5 limits. Prequalified WPS can be written quickly by a qualified person and put into service immediately — no test coupon, no lab turnaround. For most common structural steel combinations (A36, A572, A992, A913), this is the fast path. See prequalified WPS under AWS D1.1 Clause 5 for full conditions.

Path B — Initiate a PQR test program. If the joint cannot meet all prequalification conditions — unlisted base metal, heavy wall thickness outside Clause 5 limits, ESW/EGW process, or project specification requirement to test — you need a PQR. Factor in lab turnaround: bend and tensile specimens typically take 1–3 weeks depending on lab load. If the WPS is needed for main structural members on the critical path, the PQR test program needs to start before steel arrives at the shop. Waiting until fit-up is too late.

For complex projects, a gap discovered early is a scheduling item. A gap discovered after welding starts is a nonconformance. The review pays for itself the first time it catches a missing PQR.

Step 5: Resolve Pre-Job Briefing Requirements

Once the matrix is complete and all gaps are resolved, use it as the basis for the pre-job welder briefing. AWS D1.1 requires welders to work to the applicable WPS; the CWI or QC manager is responsible for ensuring the right WPS is accessible at the workstation.

The briefing should confirm:

Which WPS number applies to each major connection type on this project.
What the preheat requirements are — including minimum preheat temperature, method of measurement, and what to do if ambient temperature drops below the minimum.
The electrode classification and diameter, and where to get conditional filler metal with the correct lot certification.
Any position restrictions (e.g., this WPS does not qualify overhead — route overhead groove welds to the welder qualified in 4G).

Step 6: File the Signed Coverage Matrix

The completed scope review matrix — joint types, WPS numbers, PQR references, gap-resolution documentation, and CWI sign-off — goes into the project quality file. It is an audit artifact.

Third-party auditors and AISC certification reviewers will ask for evidence that the WPS library was verified against project requirements before production. A signed matrix is that evidence. Shops without one rely on the claim that someone "checked" — and that claim does not survive audit.

For a broader picture of common documentation failures that show up in audit, see common WPS deficiencies found in third-party audits.

Running this review takes a half-day to a full day on a medium-complexity structural steel project. It is the cheapest insurance available against mid-production WPS surprises — and it directly supports the quality plan documentation that AISC-certified shops are required to maintain. If you want a centralized WPS library that makes cross-referencing fast, WPS Welding's software tools keep procedure documents, PQR references, and qualification status in one place.

Rule library based on AWS D1.1:2025; verify against your governing edition (the AHJ or contract may specify 2020 or earlier).