Is this scope B31.3 or B31.4?
Is this scope B31.3 or B31.4?
(OP)
Hello forum,
I'm involved with a couple of large independent storage terminals (liquid hydrocarbons for the most) over here in Europe as an API 570/653 inspector. The terminals are tanker offload facilities, and the owners are trying to put together a responsible piping inspection program based around API/ASME, but have very little construction/maintenance history (>40 yr old facilities).
Does any body out there have experience of a similar situation. We would like to make some design checks for tmin and also future operating pressures, but we are not sure whether the piping should be accepted under B31.3 or B31.4 scope. I'm aware this will be the owners decision but it would be good to hear advice from the experts, as I'm sure you all realise the different stress values, weld efficiency etc involved. I would like to try and assist to get a balance of safety but not over cautious and call unnecessary repairs.
Thanks in advance.
I'm involved with a couple of large independent storage terminals (liquid hydrocarbons for the most) over here in Europe as an API 570/653 inspector. The terminals are tanker offload facilities, and the owners are trying to put together a responsible piping inspection program based around API/ASME, but have very little construction/maintenance history (>40 yr old facilities).
Does any body out there have experience of a similar situation. We would like to make some design checks for tmin and also future operating pressures, but we are not sure whether the piping should be accepted under B31.3 or B31.4 scope. I'm aware this will be the owners decision but it would be good to hear advice from the experts, as I'm sure you all realise the different stress values, weld efficiency etc involved. I would like to try and assist to get a balance of safety but not over cautious and call unnecessary repairs.
Thanks in advance.





RE: Is this scope B31.3 or B31.4?
Additional Reading:
Std 2610 ✥
Design, Construction, Operation, Maintenance & Inspection of Terminal and Tank Facilities
(ANSI/API 2610-2005)
Covers the design, construction, operation, inspection, and maintenance of petroleum terminal and tank facilities associated with marketing, refining,pipeline, and other similar activities. Covers site selection and spacing, pollution prevention and waste management, safe operations, fire prevention and protection, tanks, dikes and berms, mechanical systems (pipe, valves, pumps and piping systems), product transfer, corrosion protection, structures, utilities and yard, and removals and decommissioning.
2nd Edition / to be published Q1, 2005
Regards
Leonard Stephen Thill,
Past Member: API 653 ATS
L S THILL
RE: Is this scope B31.3 or B31.4?
Typically B31.3 would be applied to remaining hydrocarbon piping and many auxiliary systems for air and water in the terminal, however you still may have to revert to other codes to include all the facilities within the plant, such as B31.1 for power systems.
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"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world's energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies) http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/
RE: Is this scope B31.3 or B31.4?
Steve Jones
Materials & Corrosion Engineer
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/8/83b/b04
RE: Is this scope B31.3 or B31.4?
300.1.1
(b) This Code applies to piping for all fluids, including
(1) raw,intermediate, and finished chemicals
(2) petroleum products
(3) gas, steam, air, and water
(4) fluidized solids
(5) refrigerants
(6) cryogenic fluids
B31.3 has mostly the same exclusions as B31.4, I would say as a rule of thumb, look at the diagrams in B31.4 and anything outside of that would fall into B31.3. (Unless of course B31.3 excludes it and /or it falls into the pressure/temperature and scope of B31.1) Ultimately, I would approach it by first gathering all pertinent operating parameters and then establish your code boundaries(ie. B31.4, and B31.3)The owner has a big part in determining those boundaries if they are in a gray area.( See B31.3 para 300 (b) (1)