Containment Isolation Appendix J requirements

[JJV749KDV]

Hi,

We are replacing a 10 inch long section of 6" NPS Reactor Water Cleanup Pipe that is part of a LLRT boundary. There are no connections off of this pipe. We performed radiography of the butt welds in accordance with ASME B&PV Section XI.
The Appendix J Engineer is stating that we SHALL perform a LLRT air test in accordance with ANSI/ANS 56.8.
Does anyone know of operating experience where we justify the radiography in lieu of "air" test?
It just doesn't seem that the air test is going to identify anything more with the welds than radiography, yet we are performing a LLRT that is taking longer to perform than the radiography!
???

Thanks,
Joe

 

[racookpe1978]

You can ask for a waiver, but the process will likely take longer than the air test.

Welcome to the "nuclear way". Such rules will be the death of the industry.

 

[hydrae]

Radiography only tests the welds, and X-ray's have a limit to what they can find(if there is a crack smaller than the resolution in the image or a crack parallel to the direction of image they do not show). The (air) pressure test is for everything else, including the new piece of pipe.

Hydrae