M.Sadam Hussain,D.M.

E, AWS-CWI, ASNT LEVEL II (PT, MT, RT, UT)

INSPECTION OF STORAGE TANK

General Arrangement Drawing – This is general arrangement drawing and all detail including in this
drawing.

Shell Course Plate - It looks like for chenkal and shell course plate should be done alternate in tank.

Annular Plate - Annular plate should be come with Bottom plate.

Bottom plate – Bottom plate should touched with Annular plate and Bottom plate is need for storage.
Sump is also including in this plate.

Base Plate – this column is needed for float roof and column should not touch with bottom plate that’s
why we will give base plate.

Float roof- It may be come Defend upon client Requirement and defend upon the tank. It is used for
measurement of storage level. Some column will be come and two types column have in float roof such
as fixed column and movement column whereas column should not touch with bottom that’s why we
will give base plate.

Mechanical seal – This seal should be done in float roof box because this is needed to avoid friction in
float roof movement.

Anchor chair - This is needed to support of the tank.

Center Ring – It will come on the conical roof.

Vent – Air nozzle should come on the roof plate because this is used to release air lock.

Column support of conical roof -It looks like hollow pipe. Temporary column support and permanent
column support is available on conical roof plate. Which one is client requirement and then we will
follow in accordance with client requirement. Temporary column support should be removed after
completed work.

Conical roof- It looks like conical safe.

LATERAL -Two types of lateral has on the conical roof. Short lateral and Long lateral.

Wind grouter – It should be come around the tank because this is used for restrict of air force. Unless we
did not like that tank may be fallen off. This plate will come on the shell course sheet.

Reinforcing plate fillet weld and also called RF Pad.

RF Pad - This is need for strength only because if we make big hole at that time tank may be get low
strength for that we will give RF plate. RF Pad is not come inside of the tank then we will make weld
around that plate. A air hole is in RF pad. Why need this hole such as when we make weld at that time
M.Sadam Hussain,D.M.E, AWS-CWI, ASNT LEVEL II (PT, MT, RT, UT)

some of the gas may be occur inside of the plate that’s why this hole should be made in that plate.
Incase if gas is inside of the plate it may be come out side.

Pontoon box- It will be come in float roof.

Support of conical roof - I forgot that name.

Out Door Cleaning - This is need for maintenance work that’s why It may attaches in tank.

Nozzle-Some Flange may be attaches and this is needed to take another pipe line.

Angle-Angle looks like L.

Channel-Channel looks like C.

Spiral stair way – this is needed for go upside.

Sump- This is needed for take some fuel, etc. from this.

Name plate-This is needed to mention of the tank name, tank capacity, which company manufactured,
how much diameter, date of completed and etc…

Wind Girder-It will be need to restrict for air because if Natural air come high speed at that time tank
may be fallen off.

Degree of the Tank:

For example how to segregate such as 0⁰, 90⁰, 180⁰, 270⁰, 360⁰ will be like this and 0⁰, 45⁰, 90⁰,135⁰,
180⁰, 225⁰,270⁰,315⁰,360⁰ will be also like that.

To check how many vertical weld and circumferential weld is in tank.

Two types of hole in drilling:

Slotted hole,

Normal drilling hole

Washer- When we tight bolt it should be come with support angle and support channel.

Details of radiograph method:

For the purposes of this paragraph, plate shall be considered of same thickness when the difference
their specified design thickness shall not exceed 3mm (1/8in)

Application:

The requirements of T - 285 in section V Article 2, of the ASME code are to be used only as a guide.
M.Sadam Hussain,D.M.E, AWS-CWI, ASNT LEVEL II (PT, MT, RT, UT)

Before any weld repaired, the radiographs shall be submitted to the inspector with any information
requested by the inspector regarding the radiographic technique used.

Radiographic Standards:

Welds examined by radiography shall be judged as acceptable or unacceptable by the standards of Paragraph UW-
51(b) in SectionVIII of the ASME Code.

Radiographic inspection is required for shell course plate butt weld, annular plate butt weld and flush
type connection butt weld. Radiographic is not required following; roof plate weld, bottom plate weld,
weld joining the top angle to either the roof or shell, weld joining the shell plate to the bottom plate
weld in nozzle and manway necks made from weld, or appurtenance weld to the tank.

We should be taken radial joint 150mm (6in)

Double v welded should be taken 10% for RT.

Single v welded should be taken 50% for RT.

Group 1-To check RT 10% and we will follow to RT Check as per standard.

Group 4-To check RT 100%.

I have given this for identification and we should follow as per standard.

Maximum Reinforcement Of Weld Surface In Tank:

Plate thickness < 13mm (1/2in) - 1.5mm allowed (1/16in) maximum thickness
of reinforcement.

Plate thickness >13mm (1/2in) to 25mm (1in) - 2.5mm allowed (3/32in) maximum thickness
of reinforcement.

Plate thickness >25mm (1in) - 3mm allowed (1/8in) maximum thickness of

reinforcement.

What is Group 4?

Temporary support may be given in tank and this support material may come from group four (4)
whereas this support should be removed after complete welding and then we will check PT test 100%.

Peaking:

Deviation (peaking) at vertical weld joint shall not exceed ½ in. Peaking at vertical joint shall be
determined a horizontal sweep board 900mm (36in) long. The sweep board shall be made to the
nominal radius of the tank.

Peaking-this is need for fit-up inspection and to check Vertical position.

M.Sadam Hussain,D.M.E, AWS-CWI, ASNT LEVEL II (PT, MT, RT, UT)

Banding:

Deviation (banding) at horizontal weld joint shall not exceed ½ in. Banding at horizontal joint shall be
determined using a straight vertical sweep board 900mm (36in) long.

Banding- this is need for fit-up inspection and to check Horizontal position and Vertical position.

When we check this at that time gap should not come in tank.

Wood scale is available to check this type of fit-up. This scale already has bend in accordance with
curvature. We will turn this scale to check vertical, horizontal fit-up.

We can measure misalignment of vertical fit-up or vertical joint and horizontal fit-up of horizontal joint
by meanings of curvature scale.

Plumpness:

Plumps measurement have to check from top side to down side tank area and 100mm steel rod give to
check for dimension of tank.

Its acceptance criteria of variation has mentioned in API 650 Standard and having plumpness acceptance
criteria for each and every plate material in ASTM standard.

PROCESSES OF WELDING IN TANK:

SAW WELDING-Submerged Arc Welding and also Gas metal arc welding, Flux cored arc welding, Electro
slag welding. SAW welding is used highly.

Long seam weld - It shall be come on the bottom plate.

Short seam weld - It shall be come on the bottom plate.

Horizontal welding or circumferential welding will come on the plate and how to find Plate thickness,
length and width. Dimension may be mention in this order such as T . W . L and with it heat number also
is available in this plate.

T- Thickness,

W- Width,

L- Length,

Heat Number.

According to plate we should make Butt weld and Annular plate also like that but Bottom plate Should
make weld fillet weld and then Roof plate also fillet weld.

What are the joint in tank?

M.Sadam Hussain,D.M.E, AWS-CWI, ASNT LEVEL II (PT, MT, RT, UT)

Vertical joint and horizontal in the shell, bottom joints, shell to bottom joints, wind-girder joints, and
roof and top angle joints shall conform to 5.1.5,

Almost this two type of joint may be come and its details have mentioned below to know about that.

BUTT JOINT

Longitudinal welding – LD is short name.

LAP JOINT

Fillet weld.

Material of Plate:

ASTM A 36 – we have used this plate on the tank.

ASTM A 516 – Visual inspection of this material we can check after complete welding.

ASTM A 514 and ASTM A 517 It is high hardness material because already this material heat treated for
times. Visual inspection should be done after 48 hours of complete welding. Delayed cracking may be
come in this material.

Preheat of Group I, II, III, IIIA Within 75mm

T < 32 - 0⁰

32 < t < - 40⁰

T > 40 - 93⁰

Preheat of Group IV, IV A, V, VI With in 75mm

T < 32 - 0⁰

32 < t < - 40⁰

T > 40 - 93⁰

Limitation of diameter for Low hydrogen electrode in tank

Low hydrogen electrode diameter shall be 3mm maximum allowable in tank as per standard API 650.

Low hydrogen shall be used for all manual metal arc welds in annular ring and shell courses. Including
the attachment of the first shell course to bottom plate or annular plates. As follows;

Where the plate material are12.5 than thickness and made a material from I, III.

For all thickness when the plate are made material from Group IV, IV A, V, VI.
M.Sadam Hussain,D.M.E, AWS-CWI, ASNT LEVEL II (PT, MT, RT, UT)

Acceptance Criteria of Tank:

Misalignment in Tank:

Misalignment of Shell course plate for Greater than 16mm thickness to allow 3mm (1/8) or 10%
percentage of wall thickness whereas this two accepted in vertical joint.

Misalignment of Shell course plate for less than or equal 16mm thickness to allow 1.5mm (1/16)

Misalignment of Shell course plate for upper plate shall be limited 20% percentage of wall thickness and
when upper plate are less than 8mm shall be limited 1.5mm whereas this two accepted in Horizontal
joint or Circumferential joint. Horizontal butt weld joint when plate 4:1 are limited more than 3mm.

Stud welding procedure is limited maximum diameter 10mm.

Where a concrete ringwall is provided under the shell the top of the ring wall shall be level within
+3mm. in any 9m (30ft) of the circumference of the within +6mm (1/4 in) in total circumference
measured from the average elevation.

Where a concrete ringwall is not provided; the foundation under the shell under the shell shall be level
within +3mm (1/8in). In any 3m (10ft) of the circumference of the within +13mm (1/2 in) in total
circumference measured from the average elevation.

Where a concrete slab foundation is provided a first 0.3m of the foundation measured from the outside
of the tank radially toward the center shall comply with the concrete ringwall requirement. The
reminder of the foundation shall be within +13mm (1/2 in) of the design shape.

Tack weld:

Tack weld should be removed thoroughly when during full welding.

Double v butt weld:

If we complete one side after back side of weld should be cleaned and then we will start welding other
side.

The reverse side of double v butt weld shall be cleaned thoroughly in a manner and this cleaning may be
done by chipping, grinding, melting out.

Circumferential or vertical joints in tank shell courses constructed of material more than 40mm thick
multipass welding procedure are required, with no pass over 19mm.

The initial weld pass inside the shell shall have removed and non-welds from surface of the weld and
then examined its entire circumference prior to welding first pass outside of the shell (fit-up weld
expected) both visually and by one of the following to be agreed to by purchaser and manufacturer.
M.Sadam Hussain,D.M.E, AWS-CWI, ASNT LEVEL II (PT, MT, RT, UT)