I got a reply back from the D1.3 2015 committee chair Darcy Yantz.
I asked the question based off my own D1.3 work and quals, since they are pretty darned close to the questions you were asking. Darcy's responses are bold.
All our PQR’s have been performed with the coatings used in production and Table 4.2 appears to say that those qualified procedures would cover the welding of uncoated material as well. We have survived uncounted audits without any question.
Table 4.2 (12) “A change in the type of coating material, or the addition, but not
deletion, of coating material on the base metal.”
I was asked if the same could be said about welder performance qualifications. If Johnny did his performance qualification testing on primer and G90, is he also qualified on uncoated base metal… My quick response was “of course he is qualified.” At this point I was asked to show them in the code where exactly that is noted in text, table or figure.. And I am stumped unless we can hang our hat on 4.7.1.1
"You are correct.
A welder that qualifies on uncoated will need to requalify for coated. A welder qualified on coated material may weld non-coated."
4.7.1.1 Base Metals. Performance qualification established
with anyone of the steels permitted by this code
shall be considered as performance qualification to weld
any of the other steels, provided they have no coating or
have the same coating used in qualification.
This clause means a welder that qualifies on coated material is qualified for non-coated.
Can I confidently read this to say?:
• Performance qualification on Galvanized also qualifies for uncoated base metal (but not visa versa) YES
• Performance qualification on Primer also qualifies for uncoated base metal (but not visa versa) YES
It seems to make little sense to demand performance qualification on uncoated base metal if the operator has already qualified on paint or galv. But 4.8.2 makes the waters a bit murky.
4.8.2 Specific Conditions. Separate welder qualifications
shall be required for welding galvanized sheet steel
or sheet steel with other coating.
This clause means welders need to be qualified with galv or coated material.
What do you say Darcy…. This must have come up before eh? Are my guys qualified on uncoated metal by virtue of primer and galv? YES
Edit from me
I'm sitting on the D1.3 task group myself, but only for the last 2 years, so I don't speak out much as an authority. But having contact with my betters on the committee has been a real help for me lately :)
If the answer went the other way, I would have had to increase welder performance qualification by 33% so this is a happy ending for me :)