Pipeline next to road. ASME B31.3 or ASME B31.4

[CesarYalan]

Hi everyone,

I'm involve in the design of 35 km process water pipeline with 3 pump station, but I have a question about the code that I should use in the design. The major part of the pipeline will be next to a operation road (no public road) and therefore many people will pass for this road, so I have the doubt if I use the ASME B 31.3 for this fact or use ASME b31.4 because it's a pipeline between pump stations. Obviously for the pump stations i will use ASME B31.3, but 100 meters before and after (battery limit between codes) the pump stations I do not know what code to use. So i will appreciate your recommendation about this.

Thanks,

César

 

[LittleInch]

If the pipeline (clue is in the name) is a buried pipeline then the pipeline code for liquids is B 31.4. This will give you the most optimum design and cost the least amount of money.

If the pipeline is in fact looked on as a piece of piping (above ground) then the process Piping code B 31.3 is more applicable.

Before BI bites my head off, B 31.4 is also valid for use in pump stations and can be used.

If you want to change design codes, don't do it in the middle of the pipeline - bring the pipeline onto the plot as B 31.4 and have the code break somewhere in the piping ( commonly first valve off the pig trap or the inlet tee. Don't let piping engineers dissuade you from this just because they don't understand pipelines.

Being next to the road is no issue for a liquid line.

As you refer to this as "process" water I assume it's not potable water. Potable water may be better to use something like the AWWA design codes.


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

 

[BigInch]

process water pipeline with 3 pump station => AWWA IMO
Where's the process?
Salty water, dirty water => water.

Richard Feynman's Problem Solving Algorithm
1. Write down the problem.
2. Think very hard.
3. Write down the answer.

 

[CesarYalan]

Guys,

Thanks for your answer. Process water is not potable water, in this case this water is recovered from tailings dam and will be pumped to storage ponds. The pipeline will be aboveground and our design criteria consider use ASME codes. I think with this information will have a whole view of the pipeline design and can give your advice.

Regards,

César

 

[BigInch]

You haven't made a connection to any kind of process. Did your "water" ever even get hot? Definitely not hydrocarbons, or any kind of hazardous liquid, anhydrous ammonia, or other hazardous chemical, correct? Or is it full of sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide, cyanide or something? Are you classifying it as a slurry? In which case B31.4 could apply, but I think it is not a slurry. Basically B31.4 and .8 were written for US federally regulated oil, gas and hydrocarbon pipelines. They just recently added slurries to B31.4. I'm still not sure why. They never included water. B31.3 is basically for chemical plants, etc. No way.

Water with a bit of sand, salt, dirt, little rocks, fish and frogs => water

Nothing stopping you from using B31.4 or B31.Whatever,
but it's clearly going to be a waste of a lot of money.




Richard Feynman's Problem Solving Algorithm
1. Write down the problem.
2. Think very hard.
3. Write down the answer.

 

[CesarYalan]

BigInch,

This process water may contain cyanide and other harmful chemicals for the environment, the level difference between source of water and pond is around 2,000 m or 6,560 ft. Our client would like apply ASME for the design of this pipeline, so we have this doubt and the concept that ASME B31.3 considers that many people will be close during the operation and require a higher safety factor, instead ASME 31.4 in which you would not have people around the pipeline so you could have a lower security factor, for this concept I have doubt in using ASME b31.3 or 31.4 for a pipeline that is next to a road, what do you think about this?

Thanks,

César

 

[BigInch]

NO your secruity concept is exactly the opposite of the facts. Nobody works inside chemical plants. OK, maybe 5 people on a routine basis. B31.3 is for pipe located behind the fence, controlled environments, inside chemical plants. If you are putting this water in a pond, basically it is not a hazardous chemical.

B31.3 ONLY addresses pipe design. Pipelines go next to roads, under roads, cross roads over and under and go through small neighborhoods, towns and cities when necessary.

Nothing in B31.3 is appropriate for deciding burial depth and 1000 other pipeline related design details. Read it. B31.3 absolutely DOES NOT apply. You definitely have a pipeline, so at least choose a pipeline code. If you want B31 then the only one you can possibly choose is B31.4

Richard Feynman's Problem Solving Algorithm
1. Write down the problem.
2. Think very hard.
3. Write down the answer.