ASME B31.3 Inspection & Examination

[Bluecat46]

How does anyone get round the section 341.4.1 (b) (1) requirement for 5% radiography/ultrasonic on butt and miter welds when doing maintenance/breakdown work when the need is to replace the pipe spool?

Is there another code that I should be looking at for the maintenance on pipe work?

 

[XL83NL]

B31.3 is a construction Code for new work. Although it might be used for replacement, its not intended for that (sole) purpose.
You'd be better of with one of the API Codes for maintenance or replacement (I think API 570).

Also take a look at ASME PCC-2, which may be useful for repair of pressure piping.

 

[LittleInch]

I'm struggling to understand why you want to "get round" what seems to be a quite small amount of testing. So called "temporary" or "repair" pipework is a common reason for failure and I can see no reason why pipes being replaced should not be made to the same or better quality than the ones they are replacing. Of course if you only have two or three welds then you need to examine at least one, but I think that's reasonable as the welder won't have hundreds of welds to do to the same WPS, so you need to be mre careful.

If you're replacing a spool then this should also be presusre tested prior to installation.

Any repairs or replacements should be tot the same code as the original pipework. Some companies use the same edition of the code used for the original pipework for new pipework, some use the latest version.

My motto: Learn something new every day

Also: There's usually a good reason why everyone does it that way

 

[Bluecat46]

Thank you.

I agree with you LitleInch it is a small amount of testing. We have been discussing this in house and mainly it’s down to the speed in which we can get this inspection done (I.e. a night breakdown and plant needs to be up and running) as we don't have the skills in house to do it.

I will look in to API570 and PCC-2

 

[stanweld]

Most Owners, with whom we perform similar maintenance, would require 100% RT/UT of such repairs - noting that hydrotesting wolud be excluded.

 

[gtaw]

You may want to see what you insurance carrier mandates.

Failure to comply with the terms and conditions of your company's insurance policy could negate coverage when you need it the most.

Best regards - Al

 

[steakman911]

It would seem to me that if you are replacing the whole spool: ie Flg to Flg, then this would in fact comprise NEW Fabrication and as such come under the purview of B31..as oppsoed to API 570.? You would then need to RT the required amount and do a hydrotest on the new spool.

 

[VeryPicky]

Does the Owner have a piping line class specification? You should check any NDE requirements there, too. I concur with Steakman911.

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