Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Table of Contents
1. Scope
2. Applicable Codes
3. Welding Procedures and Welders Qualifications
4. Inspection Requirements
5. Weld Joint Preparation
6. Heat Treatment
7. Radiographic Requirements
8. References
FORMS (Typical Example Attached)
26C30 Inspection Record for Site Welding
26C31 Weld Repair Report
26C32 Inspection Record for Field Welds
26C33 Radiograph Inspection Report
26C34 Radiography Record Sheet
26C35 Record of Welder Performance Qualification Test on Groove Welds
1. Scope
The purpose of this section is to provide guidelines to Company personnel, in particular to the
Welding Engineer, concerning the welding, heat treatment and weld inspection of:
Prefabricated piping.
Field welding of pipe to vessel stub-ends (e.g. furnaces or in some cases vessel to vessel
stub-ends due to transport limitations).
(Whilst this section is written in terms of welding associated with piping, the same general
principles apply to welding of structural steelwork and of storage tanks).
Primary responsibility for quality is that of the subcontractor who shall satisfy himself through
his own quality system that specified requirements are met.
It is the responsibility of the Welding Engineer to ensure that the subcontractor is in fact
effectively applying his quality system and obtaining acceptable results.
The following specialist organizations are also implicated:
Depending on the particular project, their services may be included in the piping subcontractor's
scope or alternatively they may be directly controlled by Company.
Piping generally involves onsite or offsite prefabrication of spools. This activity may in some
circumstances be part of a construction subcontract and controlled from site.
It is important that the quality systems put into place for welding and heat treatment of piping
adequately cover the activities of these specialist organizations and of the prefabrication shops.
Responsibility for their day-to-day supervision is that of the Welding Engineer.
Subsequent sections 17.3 to 17.7 are in effect checklists of points requiring surveillance,
inspection or testing. They are intended as a reminder and a help to the Welding Engineer.
However, they are no substitute for reading and familiarizing oneself with the subcontract,
requisitions, specifications, standards and drawings. In case of conflict it is these project specific
documents which prevail.
The subcontractor creates his own quality system, which includes proposing the inspection and
testing record forms to be used. Their suitability shall be judged by the Quality Assurance
Manager in consultation with the Welding Engineer (see Reference 17.8.1).
The set of inspection and test record forms attached to this section:
2. Applicable Codes
ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section VIII, latest issue, or specified
equivalent.
American National Standard Code for Pressure Piping ANSI B 31.3, or specified
equivalent.
ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section IX, latest issue, or specified equivalent.
Names of welders whilst at work and if identification marks along completed welds
check with qualification.
b. Weld numbering
Welds are numbered according to approved numbering system and that ISO's and
drawings are marked-up with this number.
Pre-heating.
Check that proper equipment will be used. (e.g. welding machines, purge gases and their
associated equipment, heat pre- and after treatment including temperature recording
apparatus).
Material check i.e. materials on both sides of weld comply with that in WPS (for further
details see Reference 17.8.2).
cracks
undercutting
overcrown and
lack of penetration
The proposed stress relieving method and location of thermocouples shall be defined in a written
procedure submitted by the subcontractor to the Welding Engineer for approval.
Thermocouples and a temperature chart recorder shall be used to provide a permanent record of
all post weld heat treatments. Observe the gradient of temperature increase as laid down in the
specifications.
Thermocouples shall not be in direct contact with electrical heating elements or subjected to
flame impingement by gas burners.
Thermocouples shall, if applicable, be placed on the inside of objects being heated from the
outside and vice versa, if internally heated.
At least two thermocouples shall be used for circumferential welds on pipe diameters of 24 in.
and smaller. These should be placed at the top and bottom of the pipe. Pipes of diameter larger
than 24 in. shall have at least four thermocouples.
Threads and gasket surfaces shall be protected from oxidation during heat treatment.
After heat treatment, welding or heating is not permitted, if no re-heat treatment is performed.
(Re-heat treatments shall be limited to two times).
Hardness testing, shall not be done until the pipe has reached ambient temperature.
Hardness tests shall be carried out as near to the weld heat affected zone as possible.
7. Radiographic Requirements
Radiographic requirements shall be in accordance with the relevant pipe classes and
specifications.
The first weld of each welder shall have 100% radiography regardless of pipe diameter and
thickness.
Where random X-ray is required, the Welding Engineer shall select locations.
The Welding Engineer shall ensure that the extent of radiography on weld and per welder meets
the requirements of the applicable specifications, ANSI B 31.3 or equivalent specified code.
NDE examination will be executed after stress relieving.
For further details on X-raying see Non Destructive Examination (see Reference 17.8.2).
8. References