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CASTI Guidebook

Process Piping

ASME B31.3

2nd Edition on CD-ROM™

CASTI Publishing Inc.

10566 - 114 Street

Edmonton, Alberta T5H 3J7 Canada

Tel:(780) 424-2552 Fax:(780) 421-1308

E-Mail: [email protected]

Internet Web Site: www.casti.ca

CCASTI

CASTI Guidebook Series™

Volume 3

ASME B31.3

Process Piping

(Covering the 1999 Code Edition)

2nd Edition

Glynn E. Woods, P.E.

Roy B. Baguley, P.Eng.

Executive Editor

John E. Bringas, P.Eng.

Published By:

CASTI Publishing Inc.

10566 - 114 Street

Edmonton, Alberta, T5H 3J7, Canada

Tel: (780) 424-2552 Fax: (780) 421-1308

E-mail: [email protected]

Internet Web Site: http://www.casti-publishing.com

ISBN 1-894038-32-0

Printed in Canada

iii

CASTI Guidebook to B31.3 - Process Piping - 2nd Edition

CASTI PUBLICATIONS

CASTI GUIDEBOOK SERIES™

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Volume 2 - CASTI Guidebook to ASME Section IX - Welding Qualifications

Volume 3 - CASTI Guidebook to ASME B31.3 - Process Piping

Volume 4 - CASTI Guidebook to ASME Section VIII Div. 1 - Pressure Vessels

Volume 5 - CASTI Guidebook to ASME B16 - Flanges, Fittings & Valves (to be released)

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100 Best Engineering Shareware CD-ROM

First printing of 2nd Edition, August, 1999

ISBN 1-894038-32-0 Copyright
1999

All rights reserved. No part of this book covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or

used in any form or by any means - graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems without the written permission of

the publisher.

iv

CASTI Guidebook to B31.3 - Process Piping - 2nd Edition

FROM THE PUBLISHER

IMPORTANT NOTICE

The material presented herein has been prepared for the general information of the reader and

should not be used or relied upon for specific applications without first securing competent technical

advice. Nor should it be used as a replacement for current complete engineering codes and

standards. In fact, it is highly recommended that the appropriate current engineering codes and

standards be reviewed in detail prior to any decision making.

While the material in this book was compiled with great effort and is believed to be technically

correct, CASTI Publishing Inc. and its staff do not represent or warrant its suitability for any general

or specific use and assume no liability or responsibility of any kind in connection with the

information herein.

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patents, copyright, or trademark, or as defense against liability for such infringement.

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CASTI Publishing Inc., 10566-114 Street,

Edmonton, Alberta, T5H 3J7, Canada,

tel: (780) 424-2552, fax: (780) 421-1308

E-mail: [email protected]

Internet Web Site: http://www.casti-publishing.com

vii

CASTI Guidebook to B31.3 - Process Piping - 2nd Edition

PREFACE

The ASME B31.3 Process Piping Code provides a minimum set of rules concerning design, materials,

fabrication, testing, and examination practices used in the construction of process piping systems.

However, B31.3 offers little explanation with respect to the basis or intent of the Code rules.

Occasional insight can be gleaned from published interpretations of the Code, but these

interpretations are answers to very specific questions asked by Code users. Any conclusions

regarding the basis or intent of Code rules must be derived or inferred from the interpretations. This

book aims to develop an understanding of the basis and intent of the Code rules.

Like many codes, standards, and specifications, B31.3 can be difficult to understand and apply. There

are endless cross references to explore during problem solving and the subject matter often overlaps

several technical disciplines. B31.3 assumes that Code users have a good understanding of a broad

range of subjects, but experience often shows the extent of understanding to be widely variable and

restricted to a specific technical area. This book offers some insight into the basic technologies

associated with design, materials, fabrication, testing, and examination of process piping systems.

B31.3 does not address all aspects of design, materials, fabrication, testing, and examination of

process piping systems. Although the minimum requirements of the Code must be incorporated into

a sound engineering design, the Code is not a substitute for sound engineering judgement. A

substantial amount of additional detail may be necessary to completely engineer and construct a

process piping system, depending upon the piping scope and complexity. This book includes

supplementary information that the Code does not specifically address. The intent of this

information is generally to enhance the Code user’s understanding of the broad scope of process

piping system design, material selection, fabrication techniques, testing practices, and examination

methods.

As an active member of the B31.3 committee since 1979, Glynn Woods has seen many questions from

Code users asking for explanations of the Code’s intent, position, and application. Likewise, Roy

Baguley’s international experiences as a metallurgical and welding engineer have involved the

application of the Code in many different countries. These experiences have provided the practical

engineering background needed to write this book. It was the challenge of the authors to make the

reader feel more at ease with the use and application of the B31.3 Code and gain a greater insight

into the Code.

Editor’s Note

Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, and 9, constituting the “design” portion of this book, were written by

Glynn Woods, while Chapters 5, 6, 7 and Appendix 1 constituting the “materials/welding/inspection”

portion of this book, were written by Roy Baguley.

Note that the symbol “¶” precedes a Code paragraph referenced in the text of this book, for example,

¶304.1.2 refers to B31.3 paragraph 304.1.2.

Practical Examples of using the Code are shown throughout the guidebook in shaded areas. When a

CD-ROM icon appears next to a mathematical equation within a Practical Example, it indicates that

the equation is “active” in the CD-ROM version. CASTI’s “active equations” allow the user to enter

their own values into the equation and calculate an answer. The “active equations” can be used an

unlimited amount of times to calculate and recalculate answers at the user’s convenience.