AWS D1.5 Endorsement study guide
AWS D1.5 Endorsement · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Bridge Welding (D1.5) endorsement is one of the CWI and SCWI Endorsements offered by the American Welding Society, listed alongside endorsements such as Structural Steel (D1.1), Structural Aluminum (D1.2), Railroad (D15.1), Aerospace (D17.1), and Pipeline (API 1104). It is designed for Certified Welding Inspectors and Senior Certified Welding Inspectors who want to demonstrate code-specific knowledge of bridge welding practice, and it sits under the AWS certification and education program rather than replacing the core CWI or SCWI credential. The endorsement is tied to the AASHTO/AWS D1.5M/D1.5 bridge welding code; AWS lists the 2025 edition of that standard, AASHTO/AWS D1.5M/D1.5:2025, on its codes and standards pages, so candidates should confirm which edition their exam references before studying. Because the endorsement is code-specific, preparation centers on reading and navigating the D1.5 standard itself: its scope and definitions, qualification requirements, fabrication and inspection provisions, and the acceptance criteria an inspector applies in the field. Topics on this exam: Bridge Welding (D1.5) Endorsement - AASHTO/AWS D1.5M/D1.5. The AWS D1.5 Endorsement study guide has 1 section and about 440 words.
01Bridge Welding (D1.5) Endorsement - AASHTO/AWS D1.5M/D1.5
D1.5 is the bridge welding code, and the endorsement exam is less about general welding metallurgy than about how the code assigns responsibility and how its rules change with member type. The candidate must be fluent in four concept clusters: (1) the fracture-critical member (FCM) designation and what it triggers; (2) welding procedure qualification, including prequalified joint details versus procedure qualification records (PQRs) and the supporting welding procedure specification (WPS); (3) welder and welding operator performance qualification, its essential variables, and continuity/requalification rules; (4) fabrication and inspection requirements - fit-up tolerances, minimum fillet sizes, weld profiles, NDT methods and acceptance criteria, and the shop/field distinction in inspection authority. The most common trap is treating D1.5 like D1.1. Bridge rules are more restrictive: FCMs demand stricter toughness and inspection, and certain details prequalified under D1.1 are not automatically prequalified here.
440 words, about 2 min