ASME B31 Pressure Piping Code Question

[Jonathan Hodge]

I am working with a client that is developing a small scale gas wellhead to burner-tip facility they will use as a training facility for their personnel. However, the piping system will utilize compressed air instead of natural gas (for obvious safety reasons). Most of the the piping system components come from their inventory stock and are built or will be built to ASME B31.8 standards (utilizing API 1104 welding procedures). Some components, however, are built (or are being built) to ASME 31.3 standards (utilizing Section IX welding standards). They are worried whether there might be regulatory concerns associated with flowing air through the system that has components that were built to gas (B31.8) standards. To me, logic says if it was built to flow gas, it will definitely flow air. Nevertheless they are looking for an official statement of interpretation that would convey there being no concerns from a regulatory perspective. I’ve perused the codes, but am having difficulty reconciling the issue. Any comments, thoughts, ideas would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

[XL83NL]

I'm not a pipeliner, so not experienced with B31.8 in whatever way, but I'd first look if state regulations have some jurisdiction on the codes being used. If that's not the case, these sort of issues are mostly up to the owner, afaik. Since this is for training, and I'm assuming you're or your company is the owner, you have more freedom to choose. As a sidenote, B31.3 can be used for underground piping, which normally is the realm of B31.4 if I'm not mistaken; so within the codes, the usually isn't that sharp (except for B31.1 BEP stuff etc.).

Huub
- You never get what you expect, you only get what you inspect.

 

[LittleInch]

Well it's all a bit odd.

B31.8 is a gas pipeline code, which doesn't cover wellheads or flowlines (though in practice it is often used) and doesn't cover air.

B 31.3 is a piping code fundamentally unsuited to buried pipelines, but good for just about anything else.

The thickness of the pipe to B 31.3 might be thicker (but only once you get to decent sizes.

What sort of thing / pressures etc are we looking at here?

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[weldstan]

This does not appear to be a pipeline type project as described. It would appear to be more related to B31.3. But check with your jurisdiction' it might be perfectly acceptable to them as described. We had a major energy client decades ago who used B31.3 for a similar application.