ASME B31 - Standards of Pressure Piping

B31 Code for pressure piping, developed by American Society of Mechanical Engineers - ASME, covers Power Piping, Fuel Gas Piping, Process Piping, Pipeline Transportation Systems for Liquid Hydrocarbons and Other Liquids, Refrigeration Piping and Heat Transfer Components and Building Services Piping. ASME B31 was earlier known as ANSI B31.

Piping for industrial plants and marine applications. This code prescribes minimum requirements for the design, material, fabrication, erection, test, and inspection of power and auxiliary service piping systems for electric generation stations, industrial institutional plants, central and district heating plants.

The code covers boiler external piping for power boilers and high temperature, high pressure water boilers in which steam or vapor is generated at a pressure of more than 15 PSIG; and high temperature water is generated at pressures exceeding 160 PSIG and/or temperatures exceeding 250 degrees F.

This has been withdrawn as a National Standard and replaced by ANSI/NFPA Z223.1, but B31.2 is still available from ASME and is a good reference for the design of gas piping systems (from the meter to the appliance).

Design of chemical and petroleum plants and refineries processing chemical and hydrocarbons, water and steam. This Code contains rules for 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. 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; and (6) cryogenic fluids. Also included is piping which interconnects pieces or stages within a packaged equipment assembly.

This Code prescribes requirements for the design, materials, construction, assembly, inspection, and testing of piping transporting liquids such as crude oil, condensate, natural gasoline, natural gas liquids, liquefied petroleum gas, carbon dioxide, liquid alcohol, liquid anhydrous ammonia and liquid petroleum products between producers' lease facilities, tank farms, natural gas processing plants, refineries, stations, ammonia plants, terminals (marine, rail and truck) and other delivery and receiving points.

Piping consists of pipe, flanges, bolting, gaskets, valves, relief devices, fittings and the pressure containing parts of other piping components. It also includes hangers and supports, and other equipment items necessary to prevent overstressing the pressure containing parts. It does not include support structures such as frames of buildings, buildings stanchions or foundation.

Requirements for offshore pipelines are found in Chapter IX. Also included within the scope of this Code are:

This Code prescribes requirements for the materials, design, fabrication, assembly, erection, test, and inspection of refrigerant, heat transfer components, and secondary coolant piping for temperatures as low as -320 deg F (-196 deg C), whether erected on the premises or factory assembled, except as specifically excluded in the following paragraphs.

Users are advised that other piping Code Sections may provide requirements for refrigeration piping in their respective jurisdictions.

This Code shall not apply to:

but does include all connecting refrigerant and secondary coolant piping starting at the first joint adjacent to such apparatus.

This Code covers the design, fabrication, installation, inspection, and testing of pipeline facilities used for the transportation of gas. This Code also covers safety aspects of the operation and maintenance of those facilities.

This Standard applies to on-shore pipeline systems constructed with ferrous materials and that transport gas.

Pipeline system means all parts of physical facilities through which gas is transported, including pipe, valves, appurtenances attached to pipe, compressor units, metering stations, regulator stations, delivery stations, holders and fabricated assemblies.

The principles and processes embodied in integrity management are applicable to all pipeline systems. This Standard is specifically designed to provide the operator (as defined in section 13) with the information necessary to develop and implement an effective integrity management program utilizing proven industry practices and processes.

The processes and approaches within this Standard are applicable to the entire pipeline system.

This Code Section has rules for the piping in industrial, institutional, commercial and public buildings, and multi-unit residences, which does not require the range of sizes, pressures, and temperatures covered in B31.1.

This Code prescribes requirements for the design, materials, fabrication, installation, inspection, examination and testing of piping systems for building services. It includes piping systems in the building or within the property limits.

Design, construction, inspection, security requirements of slurry piping systems.

Covers piping systems that transport aqueous slurries of no hazardous materials, such as coal, mineral ores and other solids between a slurry processing plant and the receiving plant.

A supplement To B31 Code-Pressure Piping

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