AWS vs ASME Standards 3

[RHoran]

Good morning-

I have contracts with customers one requires welding per ASME standards the other with AWS D1.1 standards.

Are these equivalent or do I have to qualify my process and people to both standards?

Thank you.

Ron Horan
Quality Assurance
VertexRSI
Texas

rhoran@vertexdallas.com

 

[metengr]

RHoran;
The ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code welding guidelines (Section IX) are indeed different in comparison to AWS D1.1 Structural Welding Code - Steel, and are not equivalent. The ASME B&PV code, Section IX welding guidelines have their specific requirements (called essential welding variables) for qualification of welding procedures and welders. The same applies with AWS D1.1.

In our company, any of our welders that holds certification in accordance with ASME Section IX, can weld to an AWS pre-qualified welding procedure for balance of Plant welding. On the other hand, a welder that has AWS certification cannot weld under ASME B&PV code unless they are qualified to ASME Section IX guidelines.

I would not say one is better or more comprehensive in comparison to the other. Each serves their specific purpose.

 

[JoeTank]

ASME IX now refers to some of the AWS Prequalified WPSs as acceptable for Code construction to some ASME Code Sections.

Steve Braune
Tank Industry Consultants

http://www.tankindustry.com

 

[GRoberts]

As a clarification to SteveBraune's comment, ASME IX allows the use of some Standard Welding Procedure Specifications (SWPS) that are published by AWS. This is different than an AWS D1.1 prequalified WPS, which is a WPS that needs no qualification if it falls within the code's rules. ASME IX still requires a small tests before an SWPS can be used.

This being said, if the two codes mentioned above are compared, welder and procedure qualifications, if properly planned, can be qualified once and used under thier appropriate qualification ranges for both codes. Whether this takes a seperate or combined WPS/PQR/WPQ is up to your own (or your customer's) preference/requirements.

 

[JoeTank]

GRoberts,
Thank you for that clarification!

Steve Braune
Tank Industry Consultants

http://www.tankindustry.com

 

[JTMcC]

If you have copies of all codes, or have the paperwork done by someone familiar with them, you can qualify a welder to AWS D1.1, AWS D1.5 and ASME by welding one set of coupons.

JTMcC.

 

[sayee1]

RHoran
If you look at the essential variables, they are different in case of both codes. But the tests specified are similar especially for the welders. So you should be able to club requirements of both codes in such a way that the PQT tests meet the requirements of boith codes. Then you will have to draft different WPSs since the essential variables are different. The same applies for welders as well, there was a post on this site which already discussed qualifying welders to both AWS D1.1 and ASME Sectioin IX, let me try and dig up that thread refernce for you. It has been a common practice by many conbtractors to club the welder qualifcations, so that one test qualifies the welders for both AWS D1.1 and ASME section IX>

Thanks and regards
Sayee Prasad R CEng MWeldI MIOMMM


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