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1g Inspection
The Piping Inspection article provides you
with information about the inspection of
piping and piping testing in a construction
site, as well as in operating plants.
definition
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Based on API Code, the definition of pipe
is a pressure-tight cylinder used to
convey a fluid or to transmit a fluid
pressure.
If you look to the refinery or chemical
plant, you can see the jungle of pipes
which are connecting the vessels
together. Statistic shows that 40 % of total
mechanical failures in the units
are because of the process piping.
This article provides you information
about site inspection of process piping as
well as important points on in-service
inspection in process plants.
What is the Process
Piping Inspection
Requirements at the
Construction Site?
The construction code for process piping
is ASME B31.3 Code and it covers the
minimum requirements for design,
materials, fabrication, inspection, testing,
and commissioning.
With the above explanation, your
inspection and test plan (ITP) for process
piping needs to meet the requirements of
ASME B31.3 Code.
ASME B31.3 refers you to the other ASME
code sections for some activities. For
example for welding refer to the ASME
Code Section IX, pipe fitting design and
selection to the ASME B16.5 and for
Nondestructive testing to ASME Code
Section V.
The process piping design and
construction is not under the ASME Code
scheme of stamped items.
It means there is not certification for
construction contractors by ASME, and it
is the responsibility of owner to select a
qualified and experienced contractor for
its process piping construction project.
This is the reason that in the ASME B31.3
code you cannot see the wording of
"Authorized Inspector," and instead the
words "owner inspector" have been used.
The owner inspector can be the owner's
own qualified inspector or the inspector
of a third party inspection company under
contract with the owner.
Throughout the ASME Construction
codes, when you see the words
"authorized inspector," you notice there is
an ASME Stamp scheme there.
Contrary to the ASME B31.3, the ASME
Baia code for power piping (boiler
external piping) have the ASME stamp
scheme. The construction contractor
must be certified by the ASME
organization and must hold the "PP"
stamp.
So the wording for inspector in the ASME
B31.1 is "authorized inspector," which
means that this person has specific
qualifications and a commission card
from NBIC.
For more details, review the Pressure
Vessel
Certification
article.
The
certification process for the power piping
contractor is similar to the pressure
vessel.
The detail of inspection requirement in
the construction field is addressed in the
process piping inspection and test plan.
Inspection and Test Plan for Process
Piping
Related Video
Impact Testing on ASME B31.3 Pi
CI
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Hydrostatic & Pneumatic Test PrE
ICI
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What Is In-Service
Inspection Requirement
for Process Piping?
The In-Service Inspection code for your
process piping is API SID 570.
The title of the code Is Piping Inspection
Code: In-service Inspection. Rating.
Repair, and Alteration of Piping Systems,
The other API recommendation practices
and codes are also necessary to be used
In coniunctlon with this Coda
Some of these Recommend Practices are:
• API RP 574 Inspection Practices for
PION System Components,
• API RP 577 'Melding Inopeclien and
Metallurgy,
• API RP 571 Damage Mechanism
Affecting Fbaid Equipment In the
Refining Industry,
API 578 Malarial Verification Program
for New and Eafirling Moy Piping
Systems
ASME construction and referenced code
sections also might be used such as ASME
B31.3 and ASME Code Section IX.
For repair, the requirement of API STD 570,
or ASME PCC-2 need to be met.
The title of ASME-PCC-2, which was first
published in 2006 is: "Repair of Pressure
Equipment and Piping."
The API 570 Piping Inspectors are qualified
persons to do the piping system inspection.
The API 570 Training Course is 6
days video training program and available
online and is the Prep course for API 570
Piping nspector Exam. Besides the
student that successfully pass this
training course exam, receive 141
academy certificate with 48 hours training
credit.
Calculate Piping Design Thicknes
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Minimum Required Thickness Cal
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API 570 Short Long Term Corrosil
NJ
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Flange Face Finish Defect Accept
What are the Important
Items in the Piping
Inspection?
These are only important points or a
summary of points for the process piping
in-service inspection and should not be
assumed as the entire piping inspection
procedure.
A piping inspection procedure is a
comprehensive document, which need to
cover inspection methods to be employed,
equipment and material to be used,
qualification of inspection personnel
involved and the sequence of the
inspection activities at the minimum.
You may use the following content as a
summary of points for the in-service
inspection of the piping system.
• Creating a piping inventory list
indicating the line number, pipe
specification class, rating, schedule,
pipe origin location (from) and pipe
destination location (to)
• Creating piping isometric sketches to
facilitate inspection and the recording
of corrosion monitoring locations
(CMLs)
• Dividing whole unit piping into piping
circuits based on process condition
and potential degradation mechanism
• Selecting appropriate NDE techniques
for each piping circuit based on the
circuit damage mechanism
• Determination of CMLs points in
piping isometric sketches based on
the potential for general or localized
corrosion and service specific
damage mechanisms
• Determination of piping service class
based consequence of failure and
instruction stated in API 570 or based
on the Risk Based Inspection method.
• Carry out external inspection for
corrosion, leaks, previous temporary
repairs, clamps, coating breakdown,
insulation
misalignment,
damage,
pipe
vibration,
support
deterioration specifically in touch
points and to air to soil interface, pipe
hanger distortion or breakage and
frizz damage
• External thickness measurement on
CMLs on each piping circuit
• Corrosion rate calculation based on
metal loss in a specific time interval
• Retirement
thickness
calculation
based on the minmium required
thickness and minimum required
structural thickness
• Remaining life calculation based on
the available thickness for corrosion
and the corrosion rate value
• Determination
of piping
circuit
inspection interval based remaining
life calculation and piping service
class
• Determination of piping inspection
interval for non-thinning damage
mechanism
• Making supplementary inspection with
the proper NDE method for piping
circuits susceptible to creep cracking
• Making supplementary inspection with
the proper NDE method for piping
circuits susceptible to the creep
cracking
• Making supplementary inspection with
the proper NDE method for piping
circuits susceptible to environmental
cracking from Chloride SCC,
Polythionic acid SCC, Caustic SCC,
Amine SCC, Carbonate SCC,
Hydrogen blistering and hydrogen
induced cracking (HIC), etc.
• Application of other NDE methods if it
is necessary:
1.
PEC (pulsed eddy current), LRUT
(long range UT), LREM (long range
electromagnetics), RT for wall
thickness loss, and CUI and neutron
backscatter and infra-red
thermography for detection of wet
insulation
2. MT (magnetic particle), WFMT (wet
fluorescent magnetic particle), PT
(penetrant testing), EC (eddy
current), UT shear wave, AUT
(automated UT), TOFD (time of flight
diffraction), RT, ACFM (alternating
current field measurement), AET
(acoustic emission) for investigating
cracking
3.
Thermography for detection of
fouling and hot spots
• Internal inspection in opened flanges
for deposition, corrosion, localized
corrosion, erosion, etc.
• Internal inspection of clad or lined
piping for disbanding, bulging and
cracking
• Internal inspection of refractory lined
piping for erosion, deterioration of
anchors, undercutting of refractory
and coke build up behind refractory
• Flange joint inspection for distortion
and leakage and flange face
inspection, ring groove and gasket for
corrosion, erosion , cracking and
mechanical damage
• Internal inspection of dismantled valve
for corrosion, erosion, mechanical
damage and cracking
• Specific
attention
and
internal
inspection of critical check valves
• Inspection of injection points for
localized corrosion
• Inspection of dead legs for corrosion
• Corrosion under insulation inspection
of piping in susceptible temperature
(-12° to 175° C) either by advance
NDT or by removal of insulation and
making visual inspection
• Making appropriate reporting and
report keeping and implement proper
system for quick access to the
records
Related Articles
Boiler Inspection, Heat Exchanger Inspection, Pressure
Vessel Inspection, Above Ground Storage Tank
Inspection, Valve Inspection, Heater Inspections
Return from Piping Inspection to
Inspection for Industry Home
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