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Defining Postweld Heat Treatment
An examination of how AWS standards interpret PWHT and related terms, along with recommendations for greater consistency in future editions
October 2026
Terminology related to postweld heat treatment (PWHT) is inconsistent across AWS standards. In this article, we examine the use of PWHT and related terms in AWS D1.1/D1.1M, Structural Welding Code — Steel; AASHTO/AWS D1.5M/D1.5, Bridge Welding Code; and AWS A3.0M/A3.0, Standard Welding Terms and Definitions, and make recommendations for future code editions.
The Definitions
Both D1.1 and D1.5 have undergone a series of revisions to differentiate PWHT, stress re..
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