Penalty on Spot RT for Pipeline 5

[ukmet]

Dear Members,

I am working on a cross country water pipeline passing through some deserts and villages with population less than 100 people. Design code is ASME B31.8 and for welding and testing referring to API 1104. As per design 10% RT is required but the repair rate is almost 24%. Like we did RT for 34 joints and 8 are repairs. I want to induce penalty but could not find any such criteria in both the standards. I suggested 2 penalty shot for each repair essentially covering the same welder. But the contractor asking for the code reference. Please suggest!!!

 

[LittleInch]

Why on a water line are you using B 31.8? 31.4 is normally used.

There is no code reference other than 826.3 where it sates the 10% is a "minimum"

The code also states in section 841.2.1 that
"All construction
work performed on piping systems in accordance
with the requirements of this Code shall be done under
construction specifications. The construction specifications
shall cover all phases of the work and shall be in
sufficient detail to cover the requirements of this Code.

If you haven't got a construction, welding or testing specification then you are at fault. This sort of thing ( increasing inspection levels if faults found) is part of the construction specification, not a "code" requirement. Go and find / read the construction spec.

LI




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

 

[brimmer]

Yikes! Time to requalify your welders. Honestly, I would stop the job & requalify welders. You won't find penalties in any code, no chance. This is something that is normally specified in the contract upfront. I would suggest monetary penalties, so have them pay for all the welding time required to make new welds, cut-out of material, & extra contractor time you are doing, things usually improve quite quickly after that. Extra RT probably won't improve the issue if there are no consequences. If you are hydrotesting the line after construction, you might expect some failures based on this weld rejection rate, though not sure what types of defects you are finding.

 

[KevinNZ]

We add extra NDT requirements above code in the contract documents.

Frist two site welds by each welder RT. Keep up the RT until they have two clear welds. Too many fails and they are off the job.

Then random RT after that, Repairs mean extra RT of the same welder.

When a code has 10% RT it's expecting there to be some defects in the other 90% of the welds that go undetected. IMO the 10% is there to keep up the weld quality but not to produce a no defect pipeline.

 

[DekDee]

If they qualified to ASME IX -

QW-322.1 Continuity and Revocation of Qualification.
(b) Revocation. When there is a specific reason to question
the welder's or the welding operator's ability to make
welds that meet the specification, the qualifications that
support the welding he is doing shall be revoked. All other
qualifications not questioned remain in effect.