ASME B 31.

SCOPE
Process Piping Code Section B31.3 Have been developed considering piping typically found in petroleum refineries; chemical, pharmaceutical, textile, paper, semiconductor, and cryogenic plants; and related processing plants and terminals. This Code prescribes requirements for materials and components, design, fabrication, assembly, erection, examination, inspection, and testing of piping.

Chemical Plant -- An industrial plant for the manufacture or processing of chemicals, or of raw materials or intermediates for such chemicals. A chemical plant may include supporting and service facilities, such as storage utility and waste treatment units.

Petroleum Refinery An industrial plant for processing or handling of petroleum and products derived directly from petroleum. Such a plant may be an individual gasoline recovery plant, a treating plant, a gas processing plant (including liquefaction), or an integrated refinery having various process units and attendant facilities.

Fluid Service: A general term concerning the application of a piping system, considering the combination of fluid properties, operating conditions, and other factors, which establish the basis for design of the piping system.

Category D Fluid Service : A fluid service in which all the following apply: 1The fluid handled is nonflammable, nontoxic, and not damaging to human tissues. 2.The design gage pressure does not exceed 1035 KPa (150 PSI) ; and 3.The design temperature is from 29o C (-20o F) through 186o C (366o F)

Category M Fluid Service: A fluid service in which the potential for personnel exposure is judged to be significant and in which a single exposure to a very small quantity of a toxic fluid, caused by leakage, can produce serious irreversible harm to persons on breathing or bodily contact, even when prompt restorative measures are taken.

High Pressure Fluid Service: A fluid service for which the owner specifies the use of Chapter IX for piping design and construction.

Normal Fluid Service: A fluid service pertaining to most piping covered by this Code, i.e. not subject to the rules for Category D, Category M, or High Pressure Fluid Service.

EXCLUSIONS
(a) piping systems designed for internal gage pressures at or above zero but less than 105 kPa (15 psi), provided the fluid handled is nonflammable, nontoxic, and not damaging to human tissues and its design temperature is from -29C (-20F) through 186C (366F)

(b) power boilers in accordance with BPV Code Section I and boiler external piping which is required to conform to B31.1.

(c) tubes, tube headers, crossovers, and manifolds of fired heaters, which are internal to the heater enclosure.

(d) pressure vessels, heat exchangers, pumps, compressors, and other fluid handling or processing equipment, including internal piping and connections for external piping

II- DESIGN

Design Pressure
The design pressure of each component in a piping system shall be not less than the pressureat the most severe condition of coincident internal or external pressure and temperature (minimum or maximum) expected during service..

The most severe condition is that which results in the greatest required component thickness and the highest component rating .

When a pipe is separated into individualized pressure-containing chambers the partition wall shall be designed on the basis of the most severe coincident temperature and differential pressure between the adjoining chambers .

When more than one set of pressure-temperature conditions exist for a piping system, the conditions governing the rating of components conforming to listed standards may differ from the conditions governing the rating of components designed .

Design Temperature

The design temperature of each component in a piping system is the temperature at which, under the coincident pressure, the greatest thickness or highest component rating is required . To establishing design temperatures, consider at least the fluid temperatures, ambient temperatures, solar radiation, heating or cooling medium temperatures.

Fluid temp below 65C the component temperature shall be taken as the fluid temperature. fluid temperatures 65C above, lower average wall temperature is determined by test or heat transfer calculation, the temperature for uninsulated components shall be no less than the following values. (1) valves, pipe, lapped ends, welding fittings, and other components having wall thickness comparable to that of the pipe: 95% of the fluid temperature (2) flanges (except lap joint) including those on fittings and valves: 90% of the fluid temperature (3) lap joint flanges: 85% of the fluid temperature (4) bolting: 80% of the fluid temperature

Ambient Effects
Where fluids can be trapped (e.g., in double seated valves) and subjected to heating and consequent expansion, means of pressure relief should be considered to avoid excessive pressure buildup.

Cooling: Effects on Pressure.

The cooling of a gas or vapor in a piping system may reduce the pressure sufficiently to create an internal vacuum. In such a case, the piping shall be capable of withstanding the external pressure at the lower temperature, or provision shall be made to break the vacuum.

Fluid Expansion Effects.

Provision shall be made in the design either to withstand or to relieve increased pressure caused by the heating of static fluid in a piping component. For a liquid thermal expansion relief device which protects only a blocked-in portion of a piping system, the set pressure shall not exceed the lesser of the system test pressure or 120% of design pressure. Atmospheric Icing. The design minimum temperature of a piping system is below 0C (32F), the possibility of moisture condensation

and buildup of ice shall be considered and provisions made in the design to avoid resultant malfunctions. This applies to
surfaces of moving parts of shutoff valves, control valves, pressure relief devices including discharge piping, and other components

Low Ambient Temperature.

Consideration shall be given to low ambient temperature conditions for displacement stress analysis.

Dynamic Effects

An effect that can occur in piping handling fluids at or near their boiling temperatures under conditions when rapid evolution of vapor within the piping causes rapid expulsion of liquid. In such cases, a pressure surge can be generated that may be destructive to the piping. This effect usually is associated with vertical piping. Impact. Impact forces caused by external or internal conditions (including changes in flow rate, hydraulic shock, liquid or solid slugging, flashing, and geysering) shall be taken into account in the design of piping. Wind.

The effect of wind loading shall be taken into account in the design of exposed piping.
Earthquake. The effect of earthquake loading shall be taken into account in the design of piping.

Vibration.
Piping shall be designed, arranged, and supported so as to eliminate excessive and harmful effects of vibration which may arise from such sources as impact, pressure pulsation, turbulent flow vortices, resonance in compressors, and wind.

Discharge Reactions.
Piping shall be designed, arranged, and supported so as to withstand reaction forces due to let-down or discharge of fluids.

Weight Effects.
Live Loads.
These loads include the weight of the medium transported or the medium used for test. Snow and ice loads due to
both environmental and operating conditions shall be considered.

Dead Loads.
These loads consist of the weight of piping components, insulation, and other superimposed permanent loads supported by the piping.

Thermal Expansion and Contraction Effects

Effect that can occur, usually in horizontal piping, on introduction of a fluid at or near its boiling temperature and at a flow rate that allows stratified two-phase flow, causing large circumferential temperature gradients and possibly unacceptable stresses at anchors, supports, guides, and within pipe walls. (Two-phase flow can also generate excessive pressure oscillations and surges that may damage the piping.)

Thermal Loads Due to Restraints.

These loads consist of thrusts and moments which arise when free thermal expansion and contraction of the piping are prevented by restraints or anchors.

Loads Due to Temperature Gradients.

These loads arise from stresses in pipe walls resulting from large rapid temperature changes or from unequal temperature distribution as may result from a high heat flux through a comparatively thick pipe or stratified twophase flow causing bowing of the line.

Loads Due to Differences in Expansion Characteristics. These loads result from differences in thermal expansion where materials with different thermal expansion coefficients

are combined, as in bimetallic, lined, jacketed, or metallicnonmetallic piping.

Design criteria
Pressure temperature rating
Pressure temperature ratings contained in standards for piping components listed in Table326.1 are acceptable for design pressures and temperatures in accordance with this Code.

components in Table 326.1 (e.g., ASME B16.9, B16.11, and B16.28) state that pressure-temperature ratings are
based on straight seamless pipe. For components with straight or spiral longitudinal welded joints in pressure containing components, the pressure rating determined above shall be further multiplied by W.

Thicknes calculation
To calculate the thickness of straight pipe for internal design gage pressure.

where
P = internal design gage pressure D = outside diameter of pipe S = stress value for material from Table A-1 E = quality factor from Table A-1A or A-1B W = weld joint strength reduction factor Y = coefficient from Table 304.1.1, valid for t < D/6 and for materials shown. The value of Y may be interpolated for intermediate temperatures. For t >D/6

t > D/6 thickness for straight pipe requires special consideration of factors such as theory of failure, effects of fatigue, and thermal stress

This calculated thickness is the pressure holding thickness.

After calculation this thickness add corrossion allowances (C ).

For carbon steel (C ) is 3 mm For stainless steel (C ) is 0 mm Additionally some times extra allowance (a) is required to take care of thickness . Consider mill tolerance (m)) is + 12.5% for seamless pipe. 0.03 is for plate fabricated pipe.

III-MATERIAL

Materials and Specifications

Listed Materials. Unlisted Materials Unknown Materials. Reclaimed Materials.

Temperature Limitations
The materials which suitable for service throughout the operating temperature range . Appendix A , Tables A-1 and A-2 (|) single bar adjacent to a stress value indicates that use of the material

above and below the corresponding temperature is affected as described in a referenced Note. (||) double bar
adjacent to a stress value indicates that use of the material above and below the corresponding temperature is prohibited .

Upper Temperature Limits, Listed Materials

A listed material may be used at a temperature above the maximum for which a stress value
Shown there is no prohibition in Appendix A. Lower Temperature Limits, Listed Materials A listed material may be used at any temperature not lower than the minimum shown in Table A-1. For carbon steels with a letter designation in the Min. Temp. column of Table A-1, the minimum temperature is defined by the applicable curve If a design minimum metal temperature thickness combination is on or above the curve, impact testing is not required . the stress ratio is less than one use of carbon steels without impact testing . the allowable stress at any temperature below the minimum shall not exceed the stress value at the minimum temperature in Table A-1. Impact testing is not required if the design minimum temperature is below -29C but at or above -104C and the stress ratio does not exceed 0.3. for austenitic stainless steel base materials having a carbon content not exceeding 0.10%, welded without filler metal, at design minimum temperatures of -101C and higher. carbon content not exceeding 0.10%, and produced with filler metals at design minimum temperatures of 101c and higher. carbon content exceeding 0.10%, and produced with filler metals at design minimum temperatures of -48C and

V- Fabrication,Assembly,and Erection
Welding qualification
Qualification of the welding procedures to be used and of the performance of welders and welding operators shall conform to the requirements of the BPV Code, Section IX. To reduce the number of welding procedure qualifications required, P-Numbers or S-Numbers, are assigned, in the BPV Code, Section IX.

Procedure Qualification
The material to be welded is not more than 19 mm in thickness. Postweld heat treatment shall not be required.
The design pressure does not exceed the ASME B16.5 Class 300 rating for the material at design temperature; and the design temperature is in the range -29C to 399C . The welding process is SMAWor GTAW .

End Preparation for Welding

if component ends are trimmed to fit backing rings or consumable inserts, to correct internal misalignment, such trimming shall not reduce the finished wall thickness below the required minimum wall thickness, tm

When a girth or miter groove weld joins components of unequal wall thickness and one is more than 1.5 times the thickness of the other, end preparation and geometry shall be in accordance with acceptable designs for unequal wall thickness in ASME B16.25.

Alignment
Circumferential Welds Inside surfaces of components at ends to be joined in girth or miter groove welds shall be aligned within the dimensional limits in the WPS and the engineering design. if the external surfaces of the components are not aligned, the weld shall be tapered between them . Branch Connection Welds Branch connections which about the outside surface of the run pipe shall be contoured for groove welds which meet the WPS requirements .

Branch connections which are inserted through a run opening shall be inserted at least as far as the inside surface of the run pipe at all points .

Fillet and Socket Welds.

weld details for slip-on and socket welding flanges

minimum welding dimensions for other socket welding componens

Welded Branch Connections

basic types of weld attachments used in the fabrication of branch connections .

A weld defect to be repaired shall be removed to sound metal. Repair welds shall be made using a welding
procedure qualified . Preheating and heat treatment shall be as required for the original welding .

PREHEATING
Preheating is used, along with heat treatment, to minimize the detrimental effects of high temperature and severe thermal gradients inherent in welding . Required and recommended minimum preheat temperatures for materials of various P-Numbers are given in Table 330.1.1. If the ambient temperature is below 0C (32F), the recommendations in Table 330.1.1 become requirements. The thickness intended in Table 330.1.1 is that of the thicker component measured at the joint .

Preheat temperature shall be checked by use of temperature indicating crayons, thermocouple pyrometers to

ensure that the temperature specified in the WPS is obtained prior to and maintained during welding.
The preheat zone shall extend at least 25 mm (1 in.) beyond each edge of the weld. materials having different preheat requirements are welded together, it is recommended that the higher temperature shown in Table 330.1.1 be used .

HEAT TREATMENT
Heat treatment is used to relieve the detrimental effects of high temperature and severe temperature gradients inherent in welding, and to relieve residual stresses created by bending and forming. When components are joined by welding, the thickness to be used in applying the heat treatment provision shall be that of the thicker component measured at the joint. except as follows. (a) when the thickness through the weld in any plane through the branch is grester than twice the minimum

Material requiring heat treatment.

(b) for fillet welds when the thickness through the weld in any plane is more than twice the minimum material thickness requiring heat treatment.

Normalizing, or normalizing and tempering, or annealing may be applied in stead of the required heat treatment after welding, bending, or forming, provided that the mechanical properties of any affected weld and base metal meet specification requirements. Heat treatment of welded joints between dissimilar ferritic metals or between ferritic metals using dissimilar

ferritic filler metal shall be at the higher of the temperature ranges for the materials in the joint .
When an entire piping assembly to be heat treated cannot be fitted into the furnace, it is permissible to heat treat in more than one heat, provided there is at least 300 mm overlap between successive heats, and that parts of the assembly outside the furnace are protected from harmful temperature gradients.

BENDING AND FORMING

Pipe may be bent and components may be formed by any hot or cold method which is suitable for the material, the fluid service. Thickness after bending or forming shall be not less than that required by the design. Flattening of a bend, the difference between maximum and minimum diameters at any cross section, shall not exceed 8% of nominal outside diameter for internal pressure and 3% for external pressure. Removal of metal shall not be used to achieve these requirements. After hot bending and forming, heat treatment is required for P-Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 10A materials in all thicknesses

After cold bending and forming, heat treatment is required for all thicknesses.

Flange joint
Any damage to the gasket seating surface which would prevent gasket seating shall be repaired, or the flange shall
be replaced. In assembling flanged joints, the gasket shall be uniformly compressed . Bolts should extend completely through their nuts. if the lack of complete engagement is not more than one thread. No more than one gasket shall be used between contact faces in assembling a flanged joint .

Threaded Joints
A joint containing thread compound which leaks during leak testing may be seal welded . joints using straight threads, with sealing at a surface other than the threads, Care shall be taken to avoid distorting the seat when incorporating such joints into piping assemblies by welding,

Piping Distortions.
Any distortion of piping to bring it into alignment for joint assembly which introduces a detrimental strain in
equipment or piping components is prohibited . Before assembling any joints to be shall be examined for errors which might interfere with desired movement . The gap or overlap of piping prior to assembly shall be checked against the drawing and corrected if necessary. Heating shall not be used to help in closing the gap because it defeats the purpose of cold springing .

VI- inspection ,examination and testing

Inspection = Inspection applies to functions performed for the owner by the owners Inspector. Examination = Examination applies to quality control functions performed by the manufacturer ,fabricator, or erector. Testing = after completion of the examinations each piping system shall be tested to ensure tightness .

Responsibility for Inspection To verify that all required examinations and testing have been completed and to inspect the piping to be satisfied that it conforms to all applicable examination requirements of the Code and of the engineering design .

Responsibility for Examination

providing materials, components, and workmanship performing all required examinations preparing suitable records of examinations for inspector's use .