Piping Design Submissions

-
What not to Forget / Omit

Presented by:
Djordje Srnic
Design Survey Manager

ABSA the pressure equipment safety authority

 Objectives

™ Code requirements
™ Submission requirements
™ What not to forget / omit

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 Hierarchy of Act and
Regulations
Safety Codes Act

Regulations Ministerial Orders

Administrator’s
Directives and
Interpretations

CSA B51

ASME Boiler and ASME Piping Other codes and

Pressure Vessel Codes Standards
Codes

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 Alberta regulatory requirements

™ Safety Codes Act (Section 40)

– Pressure Equipment Safety Regulation
(Alta Reg 49/2006)
– Pressure Equipment Exemption Order
(Alta Reg 56/2006)

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 Owner’s Responsibilities

™ PESR 37
– Do you ever ask yourself what your
responsibilities as a Plant Owner are under the
Safety Codes Act and the Pressure Piping Codes
that have been declared to be in force under the
Act?

– Do you rely exclusively on your piping Contractor

to meet all regulatory and Code requirements
because he has the Certificate of Authorization
from ABSA? If so, read the article PLANT PIPING
– OWNER’S RESPONSIBILITIES in ABSA’s The
Pressure News, Volume 5, Issue 4, Dec. 2000.

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 Information Bulletins and “The
Pressure News”

™ Information Bulletins - Administrator may issue

– Directives
– Variances
– Interpretations
– Alerts

™ The Pressure News – ABSA’s publication that

– Informs public
– Provides interpretations & clarifications
– Alerts public

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 CSA B51 – Boilers, Pressure
Vessels and Pressure Piping Code

™ Clause 4.1 provides general requirements for

registration of designs (including pressure
piping designs).

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 ASME Code for Pressure Piping

™ Collectively under ASME B31

– B31.1, Power Piping
– B31.3, Process Piping
– B31.5, Refrigeration Piping and Heat Transfer
Components
– B31.9, Building Services Piping

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 Interpretations and Code Cases

™ Neither Interpretations nor Code Cases are

mandatory parts of the Codes.
Before trying to apply an Interpretation or Code
Case, ensure that ABSA is amenable to its use.

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 Design Registration
Requirements

™ PESR Sections 4, 14 & 16

– Section 4 provides partial exemptions for
piping systems. It is not applicable for boiler
external piping.
– Section 14 provides general requirements
for design registrations and exemption for
piping systems with Volume<500 l (0.5 m3)
– Section 16 provides requirements for piping
design registration.

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 Piping Design Requirements

™ PESR 16(2) - The information referred to in

subsection (1) must bear the stamp or seal of a
professional engineer and the name of:

a) the owner of the design ; or

b) the person who will be the manufacturer of
the pressure piping system.

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 Special design requirements

™ If piping design includes special design

requirements, the submission needs to
include them:
– Nonmetallic piping materials
– Category M Fluid Service
– High Pressure Piping
– Safeguarding
– Metallic Bellows Expansion Joints

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 Fittings in Pressure Piping Systems

™ PESR 16 & 17
– Fittings must be registered (See Line 8 in
AB-96, General Engineering Requirements
for Design & Registration of Pressure
Piping Systems).
– Only fittings that are within the scope of
registration may be used.
– Modifications or alteration of fittings is not
allowed without re-registration of fitting
design.
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 Safety Valve Requirements

™ PESR Section 38(3)

An owner of pressure equipment must ensure that

the overpressure protection system is designed and
maintained so that the maximum pressure in the
pressure equipment does not exceed the prescribed
limit of overpressure allowed in the applicable code
declared in force by this Regulation.

PRD to open before pressure exceeds MAWP. See

section 38(2).

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 Safety Valve Requirements (cont’d)

™ PESR Section 38(1)

An owner of pressure equipment must ensure
it has overpressure protection that is

(a) a pressure relief valve that meets

the requirements of the ASME Code;
(b) other means of overpressure protection
acceptable to the Administrator.

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 Safety Valve Requirements (cont’d)

™ Other means of overpressure protection

acceptable to the Administrator

– Rupture discs. Rupture disks must be UD Stamped.

– Code Case 2211 (moved in Section VIII, Div. 1 UW-

140). Protection by system design is not
recommended because the Safety Codes Act and
Regulations do not allow for this type of protection.

– Allowance for occasional variations above design

conditions (Section 102.2.4 of B31.1 or Section 302.2.4
of B31.3) is not in line with PESR 38(2).

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 Safety Valve Requirements (cont’d)

™ Proposal for the use of other means of

overpressure protection must
– Include technical justification for the use of the Code Case.
– Demonstrate compliance with the Code Case.
– Include the acceptance from the owner.
– Provide proposal for adding a warning plate on a vessel
protected by CC-2211. It needs to state that vessel is
ƒ Protected by Code Case 2211
ƒ Designed for specific operation condition and any change
in operating conditions require the owner’s and ABSA’s
acceptance.
– Vessel drawings submitted for registration need to include
ƒ Code case number
ƒ note that the MDR will include CC-2211 under “Remarks”
ƒ Warning plate information.

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 Safety Valve Requirements (cont’d)

™ Different requirements for safety valves in

– ASME BPVC, Section I and ASME B31.1.

See PG67 through PG-73 of Section I and
107.8 and 122.1.7(D) of B31.1.
– ASME BPVC, Section VIII, Div.1 and ASME
B31.3. See UG-126 through UG-133 of
Section VIII and 322.6 of B31.3.

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 Safety Valve Requirements (cont’d)

™ PESR Section 16(1)(c)

Piping design submission must include
– A list of pressure relief devices.
– The pressure relief set pressures.

™ PESR Section 16(1)(i)

Additionally, design surveyors may ask for:
– Drawing (flow or line diagram) number that
shows the safety valve.
– A list of pressure vessels protected by this
safety valve.

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 Hydrostatic Test

™ PESR Section 30

(1) All pressure piping leak tests must be conducted

using the hydrostatic method.
(2) Despite subsection (1), the Administrator may
accept, for a specific pressure piping system,
alternative test methods that are allowed in a code
or standard that is declared in force.
(3) A pressure piping system shall not be tested at a
temperature that is colder than its minimum
design temperature.
(4) When conducting pressure tests, the ductile-to-brittle
transition temperature and the possibility of brittle
fracture must be considered by the contractor.

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 Hydrostatic Test (cont’d)

™ Hydrostatic testing of pressure piping

systems is

– to verify the integrity and leak tightness of the

piping system (purpose).
– The last physical quality test in the fabrication
process to verify the system is safe to operate.
– Performed prior to placing the system in service.
– Preferred mainly due to safety considerations and
for ease of finding leaks. Should a component fail
during a hydrostatic test, the energy stored in
the water is quickly dissipated.

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 Hydrostatic Test (cont’d)

™ Requirements for Boiler External Piping (BEP)

– BEP shall be hydrostatically tested in

accordance with PG-99 of ASME BPVC,
Section I

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 Hydrostatic Test (cont’d)

™ Alternative test Methods

– Pneumatic test
– Hydrostatic-Pneumatic Test
– Initial Service Leak Test
– Sensitive Leak Test
– Alternative Test Methods in Lieu of
Hydrostatic Leak Testing for a Closure or
Tie-In Welds

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 Hydrostatic Test (cont’d)

™ Alternative test Method Procedures Must

– Provide technical justification for not completing

the hydrostatic pressure test.
– Provide a written test procedure that will fully
address the technical and safety considerations
for the test.
– Be acceptable to the owner. The owner of the
piping system must review the circumstances and
decide to accept the risk of not hydrostatically
testing the piping system
– Be reviewed and accepted by ABSA.

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 Hydrostatic Test (cont’d)

™ Do not forget that

– Hydrostatic test is mandatory according to
Section 38(1) of PESR 49/2006.
– Piping system shall be tested to ensure system
integrity and tightness.
– When considering any alternative to the
hydrostatic test prescribed under the Safety
Codes Act, all risks and consequences must be
carefully and thoroughly evaluated.
– If alternative test method is proposed, it must be
acceptable to the owner & ABSA
– Alternative tests shall be performed by personnel
other than those performing the production work.

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 Piping Modules, Closure Welds
and Tie-in Welds
™ Submissions to Design Survey must have the following:
– List of all of the identified welds
– Description of the procedure
– Acceptance Criteria per ASME B31.3 344.7.1 and
additionally
a. misalignment tolerances
b. gap tolerance
c. preheats (if applicable)
d. any additional NDE (MP, LPI)
e. any other acceptability criteria for inspectors to
ensure weld is properly constructed
– Full Radiography requirements (or phased array in lieu of –
Code Case 181) per 345.9.1
– Hydrostatic testing requirements for all connection modules
before the start of welding.
– Statement by Professional Engineer on the submission that
flexibility analysis per B31.3 345.9.2 has been addressed.

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 Piping Modules, Closure Welds
and Tie-in Welds

™ Field inspection requirements include the following:

– The final Closure weld acceptance in the field
must be pre-determined on a travel sheet with
set acceptance criteria prior to making the
closure weld.
– The closure welds must be kept away from high
stressed locations.
– Each side of the closure weld MUST be
hydrostatically tested
– Start-up procedure must take into account that
you have welds which have not been
hydrostatically tested. Caution is requested here.

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 Impact Testing requirements

™ Section 323.2.2 of ASME B31.3 specifies the

lower temperature limits for listed materials.

™ Section 323.2.3 of ASME B31.3 specifies

requirements for unlisted materials.

™ Section 323.3 of ASME B31.3 specifies

Impact testing Methods and Acceptance
Criteria.

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 Impact Testing requirements
Example of pipe calculations:

Pipe: NPS 10 Sch 80, material A106-B (curve B - Table A-1)

P=1480 psi T=100 deg. F MDMT = -20 deg. F
S=20000 psi CA=0.125”
tnom = 0.594” tmin=0.519”

treq={(1480)*(10.75)/[2*(20000+(0.4)*(1480)]}+0.125
treq =0.386 +0.125 = 0.511”
Calculated stress in pipe is Sp=19598 psi

Per table 323.2.2A, MDMT is -2.5 deg.F for Tnom= 0.594”

Stress ratio r=19598/20000=0.98
Per table 323.2.2B temperature reduction is 2 deg.F
The adjusted MDMT is -2.5 -2 = -4.5 deg. F
Impact testing is required.
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 Use of Unlisted Materials

™ ASME B31.1
– Unlisted materials can not be used for
boiler external piping (BEP) according to
section 123.1.2.
– For non-BEP, unlisted materials may be
used if they satisfy all five requirements
(A through E) of section 123.1.2.
– ABSA will require the owner’s acceptance
for use of unlisted materials in
accordance with 123.1.2(D).

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 Use of Unlisted Materials
(cont’d)

™ ASME B31.3
– Allows the use of unlisted materials
according to section 323.1.2.
– The allowable stresses of unlisted
materials shall be defined in accordance
with section 302.3.2.

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 Skid Packages not shown in the
Piping Design Submission

™ Submissions to Design Survey must

have the following:
– Scope of registration
– Information who will register skid
packages if they are not shown in the
submission.
– Who is responsible for the joints between
skid lines and the rest of the piping.

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 Where do things go wrong?

™ Incomplete information in the submission

™ No P. Eng. stamp on piping designs
™ Improper application of
- Pressure relief devices
- Pressure piping testing requirements
- Material specifications and flange classes
- the low temperature rules
™ Manual changes on drawings – improper revision
practice
™ Client’s failure to respond in a timely fashion

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 How can ABSA help?

™ We encourage pre-job meetings with EPC’s,

owners, and suppliers for major projects to
iron out areas that may be unclear (2 – 3
hours at ABSA’s head office)
™ We are happy to answer phone or e-mail
questions

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 How can you help?

™ Inform your vendors of the Alberta

requirements.
™ Keep in contact with your vendors to ensure
that they are doing what they need to do to
get their designs registered.
™ Don’t permit shipment from the
Manufacturer’s facility if there is no
registration in place.

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 Selected Articles to Pressure
Piping from “The Pressure News”

™ http://www.absa.ca/newsletter/default.aspx
– Piping Systems Constructed Outside Alberta, Volume
7, Issue 3, Sep. 2002
– Pressure Piping Construction Documents, Volume 9,
Issue 3, Sep. 2004.
– Permit Requirements for the Construction of
Instrumentation Tubing Systems, Volume 13, Issue 3,
Sep. 2008.
– Correction/Clarification Pressure Piping Systems
(Threaded piping is treated similar to welded piping),
Volume 7, Issue 3, Sep. 2002.
– Pressure Piping Not Over 0.5m3 In Capacity, Volume
8, Issue 2, June 2003.
– Plant Piping – Owner’s Responsibilities, Volume 5,
Issue 4, Dec. 2000.

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 Selected Articles to Pressure
Piping from “The Pressure News”

™ http://www.absa.ca/newsletter/default.aspx
– Owner s Inspector must Inspect & Certify Piping Data
Report, Volume 13, Issue 3, Sep. 2008.
– Failure of Low Pressure Piping, Volume 9, Issue 1,
Mar. 2004.
– Special Considerations for Alternative Leak Testing for
Closure Welds of Pressure Piping Fabricated to ASME
B31.3, Volume 9, Issue 3, Sep. 2004.
– Installation of Pressure Relief Valves , Volume 13,
Issue 3, Sep. 2008.
– Isolation Valves In A Pressure Relief Path, Volume 10,
Issue 3, Sep. 2005.
– Flare Lines and Flare Knockouts, Volume 9, Issue 3,
Sep. 2003.
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 Selected Articles to Pressure
Piping from “The Pressure News”

™ http://www.absa.ca/newsletter/default.aspx
– Requirements for Boiler External Piping on ASME
Section I Power Boilers, Volume 10, Issue 3, Sep.
2005
– Pneumatic Test, Volume 7, Issue 2, June 2002.
– Failure of 2˝ Y Strainer under Pneumatic Test,
Volume 10, Issue 1, June 2005.
– Warning – Water Hammer Hazards, Volume 12,
Issue 2, June 2007.
– Alert-Use of Registered Fittings, Volume 5, Issue
2, June 2000.
– Alteration of Fittings, Volume 3, Issue 3, Sep.
1998.

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 Selected Articles to Pressure
Piping from “The Pressure News”

™ http://www.absa.ca/newsletter/default.aspx
– On Stream Leak Sealing of Flanges, Valves,
Volume 2, Issue 1, Feb. 1997
– Positive Material Identification, Volume 11, Issue
4, Dec. 2006.
– Alerts (Brass Valve Failure and Rig Boiler
Fatality), Volume 9, Issue 1, Mar. 2004.
– Flange Gaskets (Incorrect specification and
installation), Volume 8, Issue 1, Mar. 2003.
– Hydrostatic Testing can be Dangerous Too,
Volume 13, Issue 3, Sep. 2008.

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 Selected Information Bulletins &
Alerts to Pressure Piping

™ http://www.absa.ca/IBIndex/default.aspx
– Interpretation - Random Radiography for
designated lot of ASME B31.3 Piping, IB07-002
– Pipe Nipple Failure, IB02-001
– Brass Valve Failure in Power Boiler Service, IB04-
002
– Alert to Pressure Equipment Owners and
Operators - Rig Boiler Fatality, IB04-003
– Valve Failure (Stem came off due to improper
installation), IB04-005

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