ARTICLE D-4

WELDED JOINTS

AD-400 WELDED JOINT CATEGORIES AD-400.3 Category C Locations. Category C loca-

The term category, as used herein, defines the location
of a joint in a vessel, but not the type of joint. The
categories established by this paragraph are for use
elsewhere in this Division in specifying special require-
ments regarding joint type and degree of examination
) for certain welded pressure joints, Since these special
requirements, which are based on service, and thickness,
do not apply to every welded joint, only those joints
to which special requirements apply are included in
categories, The joints included in each category are
designated as joints of Categories A, B, C, and D
below, Figure AD-400.1 illustrates typical joint locations
included in each category,
AD-400.1 Category A Locations. Category A loca-
tions are longitudinal welded joints within the main
shell, communicating chambers, 1 transitions in diameter,
or nozzles; any welded joint within a sphere, within
a formed or flat head, or within the side plates2 of
a flat-sided vessel; and circumferential welded joints
connecting hemispherical heads to main shells, to transi-
tions in diameter, to nozzles, or to communicating
chambers. 1
AD-400.2 Category B Locations. Category B loca-
) tions are circumferential welded joints within the main
shell, communicating chambers, 1 nozzles or transitions
in diameter including joints between the transition
and a cylinder at either the large or small end; 3 and
circumferential welded joints connecting formed heads
other than hemispherical to main shells, to transitions
in diameter, to nozzles, or to communicating chambers. 1
1
Communicating chambers are defined as appurtenances to the vessel
which intersect the shell or heads of a vessel and form an integral
pan of the pressure containing enclosure, e.g., sumps.
2
Side plates of a flat-sided vessel are defined as any of the flat
plates forming an integral part of the pressure containing enclosure.
3
See AD-400.4 for the joint category for the intersection of a cylinder
and the small end of a transition designed in accordance with
AD-212.3.
tions are welded joints connecting flanges, Van Stone
laps, tubesheets or flat heads to main shell, to formed
heads, to transitions in diameter, to nozzles, or to
communicating chambers; 1 and any welded joint con-
necting one side plate 2 to another side plate of a flat-
sided vessel.
AD-400.4 Category D Locations. Category D loca-
tions are welded joints connecting communicating cham-
bers1 or nozzles to main shells, to spheres, to transitions
in diameter, to heads, or to flat-sided vessels; nozzles
at the small end of a transition in diameter when
designed in accordance with AD-212.3; and those joints
connecting nozzles to communicating chambers. 1
AD-410 TYPES OF JOINTS PERMITTED
AD-411 Category A Locations
All joints of Category A shall be Type No. 1 butt
joints (see AF-221).
AD-412 Category B Locations
All joints of Category B shall be Type No. I butt
joints or, except as limited in AD-415, Type No. 2
butt joints (see AF-222).
AD-412.1 Removal of Backing Strips of Type No.
2 Joints, Backing strips shall be removed from Type
No. 2 joints unless access conditions prevent their
removal. When fatigue analysis of Type No. 2 joints,
from which backing strips will not be removed, is
required, stress concentration factors of 2.0 for mem-
brane stresses and of 2.5 for bending stresses shall be
applied.
AD-412.2 Angle Butt Joints for Transitions in
Diameter at Category B Locations. When butt joints
are required elsewhere in this Division for Category
B, an angle joint connecting a transition in diameter

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 AF-140 PART AF - FABRICATION REQUIREMENTS AF-140.2
) 1000
900
800
700
600
--- --- .......... ....
500
r--,......._c r-..... i..
400 .....
r--.... r-..... ,,
~
"-. "~
'Qo 300
r--. ........ ..... ....... '·O
Ii
•
C

-~
-" 200
~

~..._ r-,.... ...

r-,.... i... ~~
' '"
.c
I-
i,... ........
·I·
" 150
,__ .......
....._
..... " ~o~---9 " " ' I-.. r--.......
"~~~
~ ........
E
•
ci t--.. .... ·S, i'....... "--' r-..... t--, ...__
-
-...... -
~-
""-.
• 100
.....
" ~

)! 90
80
-"~ 0,4 ,_
...
70
60
50
- ..._
""""""J1r.... e
.., O..;,
' ~
.......
--
40
"".. ..., . . _ ,i,..,o-~s,' .......... ...._
,..... ...._e..,o~ ............... ~
~
30

25
........... -
0.05 0.10 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.8 1.0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Design Length+ Outside Diameter, L/D0

FIG. AF-13O.2 MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE DEVIATION FROM A CIRCULAR FORM e

FOR VESSELS UNDER EXTERNAL PRESSURE

) rotated. The two faces to be joined must be essentially
symmetrical with respect to the axis of rotation. Some
of the basic types of applicable joints are solid round
to solid round, tube to tube, solid round to tube, solid
round to plate, and tube to plate.
AF-140.1 Means for Maintaining Alignment Dur-
ing Welding. Bars, jacks, clamps, tack welds, or other
appropriate means may be used to maintain the align-
ment of the edges to be welded. Tack welds, if used to
maintain alignment, shall either be removed completely
when they have served their purpose, or their stopping
and starting ends shall be properly prepared by grinding
or other suitable means so that they may be satisfactorily
incorporated into the final weld. Tack welds shall be
made by qualified procedures and welders, shall be
examined visually for defects, and, if found to be
defective, shall be removed.
Provided that the work is done under the provisions
of AG-302.1, it is not necessary that a subcontractor
making such tack welds for a vessel or parts manufac-
turer be a holder of a Code Certificate of Authorization.
AF-140.2 Aligning Edges of Butt Joints. The edges
of butt joints shall be held during welding so that the
tolerances of AF-142 are not exceeded in the completed
joint. When fitted girth joints have deviations exceeding
the permitted tolerances, the head or shell ring, which-
ever is out-of-true, shall be reformed until the errors
are within the limits allowed (see AF-142. l ).

161

)
 AF-142 PART AF - FABRICATION REQUIREMENTS AF-142.3
) than allowed in AF-142.1 and AF-142.2. Alternatively, TABLE AF-142.1
offsets greater than permitted by AF-142.1 and AF- MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE OFFSET IN WELDED
142.2 are allowable provided that the maximum offset JOINTS
is acceptable to the Inspector prior to welding and the See AF-614.1 for Special Requirements for Quenched
requirements of Appendix 4 and AF-142.3 are met. and Tempered Steels
See AF-614 for alignment requirements for quenched Direction of Joints in
and tempered steels. Cylindrical Shells 1
Longi- Circum-
AF-142.1 For Cylindrical Shells. The maximum Section Thickness, in. tudinal ferential
allowable offset in welded joints in cylindrical shells
shall be as given in Table AF-142.1.
Up to ½, incl. ¼t ¼t
AF-142.2 For Spherical Shells and for Hemispheri- Over ½ to ¾, incl. 1/a in. ¼t
cal Heads Welded to Cylindrical Shells. Joints in Over ¾ to l ½, incl. ¼ in. 3/i~ in.
spherical vessels, joints within heads, and joints between Over l½ to 2, incl. ¼ in. 1/at
Over 2 1/16 t (3/e in. 1/a t <¾ in.
cylindrical shells and hemispherical heads shall meet maxJ max.>
the requirements in Table AF-142.1 for longitudinal
joints in cylindrical shells. NOTE:
{l) t = nominal thickness of the thinner section at the joint.
) AF-142.3 Fairing of Offsets Within Allowable Tol-
erances. Any offset within the allowable tolerance
provided above shall be faired at a 3:1 taper over the
width of the finished weld or, if necessary, by adding the edge of the weld. Such additional weld metal
additional weld metal beyond what would have been buildup shall be subject to the requirern~nts of AF-229.

163