The Industrial Plant Inspection

The inspections are done according to the following timelines:

Periodic external inspections

Overhaul or shutdown internal inspections

Emergency shutdown inspections

The inspection department in the industrial plants generally takes care of the static

equipment; rotating, electrical and instrumental equipment are not in the scope of the

inspection department, and normally, maintenance department takes care of those.

Some local authorities mandate that pressurized equipment be inspected in specific

intervals by third party inspection agencies. This is normally called third party

inspection of a plant.

The static equipment can be categorized as follows when referring to industrial plant

inspections:

Industrial Plant Inspection - Pressure vessels

The in-service inspection code for your pressure vessel inspection is API Standard 510.

The other API and ASME Codes can be used as supplementary information.

The following standards, codes and recommended practices are used for pressure vessel

inspection:

API Standard 510; Pressure Vessel Inspection Code: In-Service Inspection,

Rating, Repair, and Alteration

API Recommended Practice 572; Inspection Practices for Pressure Vessels

API Recommended Practice 576; Inspection of Pressure-relieving Devices

API Recommended Practice 577; Welding Inspection and Metallurgy

API Recommended Practice 571; Damage Mechanism Affecting Fixed Equipment

in the Refining Industry

ASME PCC-2; Repair of Pressure Equipment and Piping

National Board Inspection Code NB-23

ASME Section VIII; Rules for Constructing Pressure Vessels

Section IX, Welding and Brazing Qualifications

The last two items are specific codes for new construction; however, most of the

technical requirements for design, welding, NDE, and materials can be applied to the

inspection, rerating, repair, and alteration of in-service pressure vessels.

ASME PCC-2, NB-23 and API 510 can be used for pressure vessel repair.

The NB-23 code covers the rules and guidelines for in-service inspection, repair, and

alteration of pressure- retaining items.

Industrial Plant Inspection - Piping Systems

The in-service inspection code for your piping system inspection is API Standard 570.

The other API and ASME Code can be used as supplementary information.

The following standards, codes and recommended practices are used for pressure vessel

inspection:

API Standard 570; Piping Inspection Code: In-service Inspection, Rating, Repair,

and Alteration of Piping Systems

API Recommended Practice 574; Inspection Practices for Piping System

Components

API Recommended Practice 577; Welding Inspection and Metallurgy

API Recommended Practice 571; Damage Mechanism Affecting Fixed Equipment

in the Refining Industry

API Recommended Practice 578; Material Verification Program for New and

Existing Alloy Piping Systems

ASME PCC-2; Repair of Pressure Equipment and Piping

ASME B16.5, Pipe Flanges and Flanged Fittings

ASME Section B31.3; Rules for Constructing Process Piping

Section IX, Welding and Brazing Qualifications

The last three items are specific codes for new construction; however, most of the

technical requirements for design, welding, NDE, and materials can be applied to the

inspection, rerating, repair, and alteration of in-service piping systems.

ASME PCC-2, NB-23 and API 570 can be used for Piping repair.

Industrial Plant Inspection-Storage Tank

The in-service inspection code for storage tank inspection is API Standard 653. The other

API and ASME Codes can be used as supplementary information.

Following standards, codes and recommended practices are used for storage tank

inspection:

API Standard 653; Tank Inspection, Repair, Alteration, and Reconstruction

API Recommended Practice 575; Inspection of Atmospheric and Low-Pressure

Storage Tanks

API Recommended Practice 651; Cathodic Protection of Aboveground Petroleum

Storage Tanks

API Recommended Practice 652; Lining of Aboveground Petroleum Storage Tank

Bottoms

API Recommended Practice 577; Welding Inspection and Metallurgy

API Recommended Practice 571; Damage Mechanism Affecting Fixed Equipment

in the Refining Industry

API Standard 650, Welded Steel Tanks for Oil Storage

Section IX, Welding and Brazing Qualifications

The last two items are specific codes for new construction; however, most of the

technical requirements for design, welding, NDE, and materials can be applied to the

inspection, rerating, repair, and alteration of in-service storage tanks.

Industrial Plant Inspection - Steam Boiler

The In-Service Inspection code for your steam boiler is ASME Section VII. The API

also has recommended practice for boiler inspection.

The following standards, codes and recommended practices are used for steam boiler

inspection:

ASME Section VII Recommended Guideline for the Care of Power Boilers

API Recommended Practice 573; Inspection of Fired Boilers and Heaters

API Recommended Practice 577; Welding Inspection and Metallurgy

API Recommended Practice 571; Damage Mechanism Affecting Fixed Equipment

in the Refining Industry

ASME Section I; Rules for Constructing of Power Boiler

Section IX, Welding and Brazing Qualifications

The last two items are specific codes for new construction; however, most of the

technical requirements for design, welding, NDE, and materials can be applied to the

inspection, rerating, repair, and alteration of boilers.

Industrial Plant Inspection - Process Heater

The In-Service Inspection code for your process heater is API Recommended Practice

573.

The following standards, codes and recommended practices are used for process heater

inspection:

API Recommended Practice 573; Inspection of Fired Boilers and Heaters

API Recommended Practice 577; Welding Inspection and Metallurgy

API Recommended Practice 571; Damage Mechanism Affecting Fixed Equipment

in the Refining Industry

API Standard 560; Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services

API Recommended Practice 556; Fired Heaters and Steam Generators

API Recommended Practice 535; Burners for Fired Heaters in General Refinery

Services

API Recommended Practice 534; Heat Recovery Steam Generators

ASME Section IX, Welding and Brazing Qualifications

Industrial Plant Inspection - Industrial Valves

The in-service inspection code for your Pressure-relieving Devices is API Recommended

Practice 576. This code needs to be used in conjunction with API STD 510.

The API 510 determines the requirement for inspection interval and API RP 576 specifies

the inspection practice.

The in-service code for other industrial valves such as Globe Valve, Gate Vale, Check

Valve and Plug Valve is addressed in the piping in-service inspection code as stated in

above. In other words, in API STD 570 and API RP 574.

If a major repair is carried out, then valve testing might be needed, which can be done

based on API Standard 598.

Industrial Plant Inspection - Risk Based Inspection

Based on the API 580 definition, the risk based inspection is a risk assessment and

management process that is focused on the loss of containment of pressurized equipment

in processing facilities, due to material deterioration.

These risks are managed primarily through equipment inspection.

The technique is almost new and applied in processing plants and is used as a

supplementary recommended practice for inspection intervals, method of inspections and

scope of inspections.

For example, you may determine your pressure vessel internal inspection based API 510

requirement or carry out the risk based inspection and determine the interval, method of

inspection and scope of inspection.

The API 510 allows you to choose this alternative method. API RP 580 is provides the

definition and general requirement for risk based inspection and API RP 581 introduces

you to a specific quantitative methodology for risk based inspection implementation in

your plant.

The Plant inspection is very wide in scope, and a single article might not be enough to

cover all aspects of this.