ASME BOILER & PRESSURE

VESSEL CODE

Orientation for Authorized

Inspectors
By

Samy A.Fattouh

November 2005
 ASME BPVC CODE
ASME BPVC Code edition is issued every 3
years, an addenda is issued yearly for the
two consecutive years.

Codes and addenda are usually issued in July

and become mandatory after 6 months.

Code sections are classified as:

 Construction Codes.
 Referencing Codes.
 Construction Codes
Construction Codes are fabrication codes
include rules and requirements for design,
fabrication & Inspection. Examples are:
 Sec. I : Power Boilers
 Sec. IV : Heating Boilers
 Sec. VIII : Pressure Vessels
(Div. 1, 2 & 3)
 Sec. X : FRP Vessels
 Referencing Codes
Referencing Codes are supporting
codes for the requirements of materials,
testing and qualification. Examples are:
 Sec. II : Materials
(Part A, B, C & D)
 Sec. V : NDE
 Sec. IX : Welding
 Section I

Power Boilers
 Scope of Application
Boiler property & boiler external piping

 Boiler property includes super heaters,

economizer & other pressure parts directly
connected to the boiler.
 Boiler external piping terminates at:
A) The first circumferential welded joint.
B) The face of the first bolted flange.
C) The first threaded joint.
 Service Application
 Boilershaving pressure more than 15 psi.
 High temperature water boilers having
pressure exceeding 160 psi and or
temperature exceeding 250º F.
 For services below these ranges; Sec IV
for Heating boilers is applicable
 Code Parts
 General Requirements PG
 Welded Boilers PW
 Watertube Boilers PWT
 Firetube Boilers PFT
 Miniature Boilers PMB
 Electric Boilers PEB
 Organic Fluid Vaporizers PVG
 Mandatory Appendix Numerical
 Non Mandatory Appendix Alphabetical
 Minimum Thicknesses
 The minimum thickness of any boiler
plate under pressure shall be 6 mm.
(Reference : PG-16.3)
 Maximum Allowable Working
Pressure (MAWP)
 No boiler shall be operated at a
pressure higher than the MAWP.
 When a safety valve or a safety relief
valves are discharging, the MAWP shall
not be exceeded by more than 6 %
 Design Formulas
 Tubing up to 5 inches PG-27.2.1
 Pipes, Drums and Headers PG-27.2.2
 Dished Heads PG-29
 Unstayed Flat Heads PG-31
 Openings & Compensation PG-32 ~ 37
 Stayed Surfaces PG-46
 Ligaments PG-52
 Important Issues
 PG-19 Cold Forming of Stainless
 PG-44 Inspection Opening
 PG-47 ~ 48 Stay bolts
 PG-67 ~ 68 Safety Valve Requirements
 PG-72 Safety Valves Operation
 PG-80 Out of Roundness
 PG-90 Inspection & Tests
 PG-99 Hydrostatic Test
 PG-106 Stamping of Boilers
 Welded Boilers
 Welded Connections PW-15
 Alignment Tolerance PW-33
 PWHT PW-39
 Repair of Welded Defects PW-40
 Attachments Load PW-43
 RT Acceptance Standards PW-51
 UT Acceptance Standards PW-52
 Test Plates & Bend Test PW-53
 Hydrostatic Test PW-54
 Watertube Boilers
 Tube wall Thickness PWT-10
 Tube Connection PWT-11
 Stay bolting PWT-12
 Firetube Boilers
 Materials:
 Waterlegs & doorframe rings of vertical
boilers shall be according to SA-216
(Reference: PTF-5)
 Minimum Thickness:
 1/4 inch for Shell & Dome 36 inch & under
 3/8 inch for Tube sheet 42 inch & under

(Reference: PTF-9)
 Miniature Boilers
 Scope of application for boilers not
exceeding:
A) 16 inch shell inside diameter
B) 20 sq. ft. heating surface
C) 5 cu ft gross volume
D) 100 psi MAWP
 Material Thickness:

A) Minimum Thickness for head and

shell is 1/4 inch
B) Seamless shell shall be not less than
3/16 inch
C) Heads and tube sheets with tubes
rolled in shall be at least 5/16 inch
 Openings:

A) Exceeding 12 inch internal diameter or

having more than 10 sq. ft. heating
surface shall be fitted with not less than 3
brass washout plugs of 1 inch near the
bottom
B) Not exceeding 12 inch and less than 10
sq. ft. need at least two 1 inch openings
opposite to each other
 HydrostaticTesting:
Shall not be less than 3 times the MAWP
 Electric Boilers
 Materials:
Head plates shall not be less than 3/16
inch
 Welding:
PWHT and RT are not required for
boilers not exceeding the following:
A) 16 inch inside diameter
B) 100 psi MAWP
 Organic Fluid Vaporizers
Safety Valves:
 Shall be of a totally enclosed type so
designed that vapor shall not discharge to
atmosphere.
 Alternatively, a suitable condenser that will
condense vapor may be used
 Safety valve shall not have a lifting lever
 The vaporizer shall be designed for a working
pressure of at least 40 psi
 Design Formulas
 Tubes: PTF 50 & PTF 51
 MAWP for Copper tubes shall not exceed 250 psi
 Maximum temperature shall not exceed 406 º F
 Combustion Chamber Tube sheet: PTF-13
 Plain Circular Furnace: PTF-15
 Adamson Type: PTF-16
 Ring reinforced Type: PTF-17
 Corrugated Furnace: PTF-18
 Stayed Curved Surfaces: PTF-23
 Area Supported by Stay: PTF-26
 Stresses in Diagonal Stays :PTF-32
 Quality Control System
 Appendix A-300
 Section IV

Heating Boilers
 Code Parts
 General Requirements HG
 Wrought Material Assemblies HF
 Cast Iron Assemblies HC
 Potable Water Heaters HLW
 Mandatory Appendix Numerical
 Non Mandatory Appendix Alphabetical
 Service Restrictions
Service is restricted to:
 Steam boilers not exceeding 15 psi
 Hot water heating boilers not exceeding
160 psi or 250º F
 Summary
 The design pressure for a heating boiler
shall be at least 30 psi
 Design Requirements: HG-300
 Pressure Relieving Devices HG-400
 Inspection & Testing HG-500
 Stress Tables HF-300.1
 Section VIII

Pressure Vessels
 Scope of Application
 Vessels designed for pressure not exceeding 3000 psi
 Unfired steam boilers as defined in Sec I
 Vessels known as evaporators or heat exchangers
 Vessels in which steam is generated by the heat
resulting from operation of a processing system.
 Vessels in which steam is generated but not
withdrawn for external use.
 Vessels or parts subjected to direct firing of fuel
combustion and not within the scope of sections I, III
or IV
 Gas fired jacketed steam kettles with operating
pressure not exceeding 50 psi
 Vessels not included in Scope:

 Those within the scope of other

sections
 Fired process tubular heaters
 Pressure containers of rotating or
reciprocating mechanical devices
 Structures for transporting fluids
 Piping components
 Vessels containing water under pressure exceeding
none of:
Design pressure 300 psi or design temp 210 º F
 Hot water supply storage tanks heated by steam
exceeding none of:
Heat input 200,000 Btu/hr, water temp of 210 º F or
water capacity of 120 gal
 Vessels having internal or external pressure not
exceeding 15 psi
 Vessels having inside diameter, width, height or
cross section diagonal not exceeding 6 inch
 Pressure vessels for human occupancy
 Scope for External Piping
 The first circumferential welded joint
 The first threaded screwed connection
 The face of the first bolted flange
 The first sealing surface for proprietary
connections or fittings
 Frequently used Code Parts
 General Requirements UG
 Welded Vessels UW
 Carbon & Low Alloy Steel Vessels UCS
 High Alloy Vessels UHA
 Ferritic Steel Vessels UHT
 Mandatory Appendix Numerical
 Non Mandatory Appendix Alphabetical
 Design Formulas
 Shell under Internal Pressure UG-27
 Shell under External Pressure UG-28
 Heads (Pressure on Concave Side) UG-32
 Heads (Pressure on Convex Side) UG-33
 Unstayed Flat Heads & Covers UG-34
 Opening & Reinforcements UG-36 ~ 39
 Stayed Surfaces UG-47
 Ligaments UG-53
 Important Issues
 Material Identification UG-10
 Prefabricated Pressure Parts UG-11
 Minimum Thickness UG-16
 Inspection Opening UG-46
 Out of Roundness UG-80
 Impact Tests UG-84
 Inspection & Tests UG-90
 Hydrostatic Test UG-99
 Required Marking UG-116
 Pressure Relief Valves UG-126 ~ 136
 Welded Vessels
 Joint Category UW-3
 Radiographic Examination UW-11
 Joint Efficiencies UW-13
 Welded Connections UW-15
 Attachment Welds UW-16
 Tube to Tube sheet Welds UW-20
 PWHT UW-40
 Spot Radiography UW-52
 Carbon Steel Vessels
Carbon & low alloy steel having a carbon content
of more than 35 % shall not be used in welded
constructions
 Steel Plates (Table UCS-23) UCS-6
SA-36 & SA-283 may be used if:
The vessels are not for lethal services, unfired
steam boilers and the thickness does not exceed
5/8 inch
 PWHT UCS-56
 Mandatory RT Table UCS-57
 Reduction of MDMT UCS-66
 Forming of Heads & Shells UCS-79
 Mandatory Appendices
 Design Formulas Appendix 1
 RT Acceptance Criteria Appendix 4
 MT Acceptance Criteria Appendix 6
 PT Acceptance Criteria Appendix 8
 Quality Manual Appendix 10
 Non Mandatory Appendices
 Samples for Design Calculation Appendix
L
 Section X

Fiber Reinforced
Plastic Pressure
Vessels
 Code Parts
 General Requirements Part-RG
 Material Requirements Part-RM
 Design Requirements Part-RD
 Fabrication requirements Part-RF
 Qualification Requirements Part-RQ
 Pressure Relief Devices Part-RR
 Rules Governing Testing Part-RT
 Inspection Requirements Part-RI
 Marking, Stamping & Reports Part-RS
 Mandatory Appendices Numerical
 Non Mandatory Appendices Alphabetical
 Section II

Materials
 Code Parts
 Part A : Ferrous Materials
 Part B : Non Ferrous Materials
 Part C : Filler Materials
 Part D : Stress Tables
 Section V

Non Destructive
Examination
 Code Subsections
 Subsection A: NDE Techniques
 Subsection B: NDE Standards
 Subsection A
 General Requirement Article 1
 Radiographic Examination Article 2
 Ultrasonic Examination Article 4 & 5
 Liquid Penetrant Examination Article 6
 Magnetic Particle Examination Article 7
 Eddy Current Examination Article 8
 Visual Examination Article 9
 Leak Testing Article 10
 Acoustic Emission Article 11~13
 Subsection B
 Radiographic Standards Article 22
 Ultrasonic Standards Article 23
 Liquid Penetrant Standards Article 24
 Magnetic Particle standards Article 25
 Eddy Current Standards Article 26
 Leak Testing Standards Article 27
 Visual Examination Standards Article 28
 Mandatory Appendix
 ASME IX

WELDING QUALIFICATION
 CODE PARTS

 PART 100: GENERAL

 PART 200: PROCEDURE
 PART 300: WELDERS
 PART 400: WELDING DATA
 WPS: Welding Procedure
Specification
 The WPS is a written document provides direction
to the welder for making production welds in
accordance with the code requirements.
 The purpose of the WPS is to specify the
conditions (including ranges) under which the
welding must be performed.
 The WPS must address both essential & non
essential variables
 The WPS shall reference the supporting PQR
 PQR: Procedure Qualification
Record
 The PQR is a document that occurred during
welding and testing of the weld coupon.
 The purpose for qualification of a WPS is to
determine that the proposed weldment is capable
of providing the required properties for its
intended application
 The PQR shall document the essential and when
required the supplementary essential variables
 The PQR shall be certified accurate by the
manufacturer.
 WPQ: Welders Performance
Qualification
 The purpose for welder qualification is
to determine the welder ability to
deposit sound weld metal.
 Record of the test shall include type of
the test, essential variables, test results
and the ranges qualified.
 GMAW short circuit mode shall be
qualified by bend test only. RT is not
acceptable
 Essential & Nonessential
Variables
 Essential variables are those if changed will
affect the mechanical properties of the
weldment and shall require requalification of
the WPS.
 Supplementary essential are those required
for notch toughness test for some metals.
 Nonessential variables are those if changed
the WPS may be revised without
requalification.
How far can we accept a very old
qualification ?
 WPS, PQR & WPQ made according to
1962 edition or any later edition of
Section IX may be used.
 WPS, PQR & WPQ made according to
an edition prior to 1962 edition but cover
all the requirement of 1962 or later
editions may also be used.
 Manufacturer’s Responsibility
 Itis not permissible for the manufacturer to have the
welding, the supervision and control of welding
performed by other organization
 When a manufacturer is acquired by a new owner the
WPS’s & PQR’s may be used provided that all of the
following are met:
A) The new owner take the responsibility for WPS’s
and PQR’s
B) The WPS’s reflect the name of the new owner
C) The Quality Control System reflects the source of
the PQR’s as being from the former
manufacturer
 More than one manufacturer may
simultaneously qualify one or more
welders provided each organization
shall be present during the test and the
WPS used is identical to the WPS’s of
the participating organization.
 Alternatively, the WPS used is agreed
upon and each organization has a PQR
supporting the WPS.
 Important Issues
 Several WPS’s may be prepared from one PQR.
 Single WPS may be supported by several PQR’s
 When more than one welding process or filler
metal is used, the deposited weld metal
thickness and the qualification range for each
shall be recorded
 When two or more welders are qualified in a
single test coupon, the qualification range shall
be considered individually
 Double welded groove are considered
welding with backing
 For thickness greater than 8 inch, the
maximum thickness qualified is 1.33 times
 For any single pass greater than ½ inch, the
maximum qualified range will be 1.1 times
 For GMAW short circuit mode with test
coupon thickness less than ½ inch, the
maximum qualified range will be 1.1 times
 For PWHT exceeding the upper
transformation temperature, the maximum
qualified range will be 1.1 times