AWS has published the 25th edition of D1.1 — Structural Welding Code — Steel, and the headline change is the arrival of ASTM A913 Grade 80 in a brand-new Group V of prequalified base metals. With a minimum 80 ksi yield and 95 ksi tensile strength, Gr80 is now the strongest steel you can weld under prequalified parameters, yet its quench-and-self-temper (QST) metallurgy keeps carbon and alloy additions low enough to satisfy weldability checks.  
Because QST does the heavy lifting, A913 maintains ductility and hydrogen tolerance. The code lets shops weld Gr80 at the same preheat temperatures they already use for A992—provided the electrode meets an H4 cap—so there’s no heat-soak penalty for stepping up in strength. Gr65 shifts down to a milder Category B, while the new Category F gives Gr70 no-preheat freedom up to 2½ in. thickness. All four grades are now squarely in the prequalified club, cutting weld passes, gas, and labor where heavy sections rule the design.  
For fabrication yards—and the next wave of young welders—this matters. Lighter columns and truss chords mean smaller cranes and quicker fit-ups, and the simplified preheat tables remove a barrier to skill-based hiring. Projects that once defaulted to cover plates or thicker A992 can now reach the same capacity with leaner members, letting early-career welders focus on deposition technique instead of fighting heat input limits. Expect Gr80 to show up first in strength-controlled building cores and bridge elements, but the workflow gains will ripple across the steel sector as crews adapt to the more nuanced, chemistry-first approach baked into D1.1 2025. 
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