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ASME BPVC VIII Div1: Spot radiography

By El hazel Aymen

El hazel Aymen Lead Mechanical Engineer, API 510 inspector, API 570 inspector
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I. Introduction
Spot radiography weld inspection is an effective tool that involves the unbiased selection of specific sections of a weld (spots) to verify
if they meet the acceptance criteria. The selection of spots is made immediately after the specified weld is completed. While this method
does not guarantee that the entire weld is free of defects, it serves as a statistical approach to quality control.

As with any statistical method, its efficiency improves with an increased number of inspected spots, as the standard deviation is
inversely proportional to the number of spots inspected. Therefore, spot radiography is particularly useful and efficient for inspecting
lengthy welds or a large number of similar vessels, where a substantial number of spots can be examined.

1) Suitable Weld Types for Spot Radiographic Inspection

The use of spot radiography, as outlined in ASME Section VIII Division 1, UW-52, will be presented here as a cost-effective tool for
aiding in the quality control of welded joints.

Radiographic examination, whether spot or 100%, can significantly improve the efficiency of butt welds. The efficiency of a butt weld,
as a function of the weld type and the percentage of examination, can be easily determined from Table UW-12.

Spot radiography enhances the weld joints efficiency of Type 1 or Type 2, provided they have demonstrated complete fusion and
complete penetration, meeting UW-35 requirements.

1. Type 1 Weld: Butt joints welded from both sides, or from one side only without a permanent backing strip.

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2. Type 2 Weld: Butt joints welded from one side only with a permanent backing strip.

1) Efficiency enhancement by spot radiography

If a category weld joint A, B, C, and D is executed using either Type 1 or Type 2 welds, their efficiency can be improved as shown in
the table below

Weld Type/ Inspection No Radiography Spot radiography

Type 1 weld 0.7 0.85
Type 2 weld 0.65 0.8
2) Weld thickness 𝒕
All allowable weld reinforcement excluded

Weld type But weld with equal base metal Butt weld joining two members Butt weld include fillet weld
thickness member having different thicknesses

Thickness 𝒕 Base metal thickness The thinner of two members The dimension of but weld +
throat of fillet weld

El hazel Aymen Lead Mechanical Engineer, API 510 inspector, API 570 inspector
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II. Spot radiography

a) What’s spot radiography
As mentioned in the introduction, spot radiography is an inspection method based on selecting specific spots to inspect and verify
against acceptance criteria. But what are the dimensions of these spots, and how many should be inspected for each weld?

Two critical parameters for defining spot radiography are the length 𝑳 of the weld increment and the spot length 𝑺:

• 𝐿 = 50 ft in(15 m)

• 𝑆 = 6 in(150 mm)

By vessel By welder

Weld length 𝑳 ft If 𝑳 ≥ 50 ft in(15 m) If 𝑳 < 50 ft in(15 m) If 𝑳 ≥ 50 ft in(15 m) If 𝑳 < 50 ft in(15 m)

(m)
Single vessel For identical vessel or part, Made by one welder or Each increment made by
each 50 ft (15m) require one welding operator one welder shall have
spot independent of their one spot
number

Spot number 𝑛 𝑳 𝑳 𝑳 𝑳 Sufficient number

𝒏= (𝒏 = ) 𝒏= (𝒏 = )
𝟓𝟎 𝟏𝟓 𝟓𝟎 𝟏𝟓

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• Each spot examination should be conducted as soon as practicable after the completion of the weld increment to be examined.
• Weld made by more than one welder may be examined by one spot

b) Spot radiography what weld should be inspected

When spot radiography is specified for a pressure vessel, certain welds need to be inspected. The table below summarizes which welds
should undergo spot radiographic inspection:

c) Weld type / Shell Heads Nozzle Communicating

location chamber
Category A ☑

Category B ☑
Category C If 𝑡 > 1 1/8 𝑖𝑛 (29𝑚𝑚)
☑
Or 𝑁𝑃𝑆 > 10 (𝐷𝑁 250)
Category D ☑

El hazel Aymen Lead Mechanical Engineer, API 510 inspector, API 570 inspector
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III. Acceptance criteria

The table below summarizes the acceptance criteria:

Cracks,
Type of indication Incomplete fusion Slag inclusion length 𝑰
Incomplete penetration
✓ Individual indication
2 1 3
𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 ( 𝑡, 𝑖𝑛 ) < 𝐼 ≤ 𝑖𝑛
3 4 4

Acceptance criteria Unacceptable ✓ Aligned indication of length 𝐼𝑖 in 6t

span
⬚

∑ 𝐼𝑖 ≤ 𝑡
⬚
And If 𝐼0 the longest indication every
two indications is less than 3𝐼0

IV. Evaluation and retest

Spot radiography is an iterative quality control process. The necessary steps to perform spot radiography on a selected weld
increment are summarized in the following table.

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Increment weld selection (1)

Spot radiography inspected (2)

Meets the Acceptance Criteria Fails to Meet Acceptance Criteria

then

Select 2 other spot far from the first spot

Spot radiography inspection of those 2 spots

Meets the Acceptance Criteria Fails to Meet Acceptance Criteria

Repair the defect identified in the The entire weld increment is rejected
Accept the increment weld initial spot inspection.

Re-inspect the Repaired Weld ✓ The entire rejected weld shall be removed
and the joint shall be rewelded
Back to step (2) ✓ Alternatively, at the fabricator’s discretion,
the entire weld segment can be fully
radiographed, with only the detected
defects requiring correction.

El hazel Aymen Lead Mechanical Engineer, API 510 inspector, API 570 inspector
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Complete details are in ASME BPVC VIII Div1 : UW-11, UW-52

El hazel Aymen: aymen.elhazel@gmail.com, +21699760409

El hazel Aymen Lead Mechanical Engineer, API 510 inspector, API 570 inspector