Home / Welding, execution and paint codes
Reference hubWelding, Execution and Paint Codes for Heavy Steel Frames
A frame drawing names three codes before anything else: a welding code, an execution standard and a paint standard. Together they fix how the frame is welded, how much it is inspected and how it is protected. On US drawings the usual set is AWS D1.1 with AISC practice and an SSPC/AMPP or ISO 12944 paint specification; on European drawings it is EN 1090-2 with an execution class, ISO 3834 and ISO 12944. This hub explains those governing codes one per page.
| Layer | US set | European and international set | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welding | AWS D1.1 | ISO 3834, ISO 9606-1, ISO 15614-1 (inside EN 1090-2) | AWS D1.1 in plain language |
| Execution | AISC 303 and the contract | EN 1090-2 execution class EXC1 to EXC4 | EN 1090 execution classes |
| Paint | SSPC/AMPP or ISO 12944 | ISO 12944 category and durability | ISO 12944 corrosivity categories |
How the three codes work together
The welding code says how a joint is made and judged. The execution standard sets the risk level of the whole structure and, through it, how strict the welding, tolerances and inspection must be. The paint standard turns the site environment into a protection system. A frame drawing that names all three, with an edition, a class or loading condition and a corrosivity category, gets comparable quotes. One that names none gets each shop’s own default.
Where to go next
Single standards, certificates, tests and documents (mill certificates, NDT extent, inspector qualifications, blast grades, coating thickness) are covered in depth on the codes, standards and inspection hub. Steel grades are on the structural steel grades hub, and frame families on types of heavy steel frames.
A note on this site
heavyframes.com is a matching service. It does not hold any of the certificates these codes mention and does not certify shops. How we vet shops describes what we check before a shop is matched.
Frequently asked questions
- How is this hub different from the codes, standards and inspection hub?
- This hub explains the governing codes a designer writes on a frame drawing (welding, execution, paint). The codes, standards and inspection hub goes deeper into single standards, certificates, tests and documents. The two link to each other.
- Can a drawing name both AWS D1.1 and EN 1090?
- It can, but it should not leave the choice open. Name one governing welding and execution code per drawing and state which documents from the other system the client also wants.
- Who decides which code governs?
- The engineer of record, usually following the client specification and the market where the frame is installed.
Standards and rules are cited as references. They are not claims about heavyframes.com or any shop. Confirm the edition and current status with the issuing body.