ASME B31.

3 ( 2020)

Type of
Normal & Category M fluid service Severe cyclic conditions Category D fluid service
Discontinuity
Girth, Miter
Girth,Miter
groove , Longitudinal Longitudinal Longitudinal Branch
Fillet ,branch Fillet Girth,Miter, Fillet
Branch Groove Groove Groove Connection
connection
connection
Not Not Not
Crack Not Permitted Not Permitted Not Permitted Not Permitted Not Permitted Not Permitted Not Permitted
Permitted Permitted Permitted
≤ 38mm in any
150mm weld
length or 25%
Not Not
Lack of Fusion Not Permitted Not Permitted Not Permitted Not Permitted of Total weld Not Permitted N/A Not Permitted
Permiited Permitted
length ,
whichever is
less
≤ 38mm in any ≤ 38mm in any ≤ 38mm in
150mm weld 150mm weld any 150mm
length or 25% length or 25% weld length or
Incomplete Not
of Total weld Not permitted N/A Not Permitted N/A of Total weld Not permitted N/A 25% of Total
Penetration Permitted
length , length , weld length ,
whichever is whichever is whichever is
less less less
Tw ≤6mm limit Tw ≤6mm limit
is same as D as is same as D as
per Appendix-4 per Appendix-4
As per
and and
APPENDIX As per
Rounded Tw ≥ 6mm Tw ≥ 6mm
N/A -4 of APPENDIX-4 of N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Indication limit is 1.5 x D limit is 1.5 x D
SecVIII Div SecVIII Div 1
as per as per
1
Appendix-4 Appendix-4
Limits Limits
 Individual
Individual Individual Individual
Length
Length ≤2Tw Length ≤2Tw Length ≤Tw/3
≤Tw/3
Individual Individual Individual Width
Individual
Elongated Width ≤3mm or Width ≤3mm or ≤2.5 mm or
Width ≤2.5
Indication Tw/2 Tw/2 N/A Tw/3 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
mm or Tw/3
Cumulative Cumulative Cumulative
Cumulative
length ≤4Tw in length ≤4Tw in length ≤Tw in
length ≤Tw
any 150mm any 150mm any 12Tw weld
in any 12Tw
weld length weld length length
weld length
Depth≤1mm Depth≤1mm
Depth≤1.5mm Depth≤1mm
and Tw/4 and Tw/4
Depth≤1mm and Tw/4 or and Tw/4
Or Or
and Tw/4 1mm Or
Cumulative Cumulative
Or Cumulative Or Cumulative
length length
length ≤38mm Cumulative length
≤38mm in ≤38mm in
in any 150mm Not length ≤38mm ≤38mm in any
Undercutting Not Permitted any 150mm Not Permitted Not Permitted Not Permitted any 150mm
weld length or Permitted in any 150mm 150mm weld
weld length weld length
25% of Total weld length or length or 25%
or 25% of or 25% of
weld length , 25% of Total of Total weld
Total weld Total weld
whichever is weld length , length ,
length , length ,
less whichever is whichever is
whichever is whichever is
less less
less less
Surface porosity
Or Exposed Slag
Inclusion (only Not Not Not
Not Permitted Not Permitted Not Permitted Not Permitted Not Permitted Not Permitted Not Permitted
for ≤ 5mm Permitted Permitted Permitted
Nominal
Thickness)
≤12.5 µm ≤12.5 µm
(500 µin) ≤12.5 µm (500 (500 µin) Ra
Ra in µin) Ra in in
Surface Finish N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Accordance Accordance with Accordance
with ASME ASME B46.1 with ASME
B46.1 B46.1
 Total joint Total joint
Total joint Total joint Total joint Total joint Total joint
thickness thickness
Concave surface , thickness thickness thickness thickness thickness
N/A including N/A N/A including
Concave Root , including weld including weld including weld including weld including weld
weld weld
or Burn Through reinfor≥Tw reinfor≥Tw reinfor≥Tw reinfor≥Tw reinfor≥Tw
reinfor≥Tw reinfor≥Tw

Concave surface , Concave Root , or Burn Through → A Film Density or Brightness darker than the adjacent base metal is cause for rejection
 ASME Sec IX Acceptance Limits ( 2021)
Type of Acceptable Limits
Discontinuity
Crack Not permitted
Incomplete Penetration Not permitted
Incomplete Fusion Not Permitted
1)Max allowed 3 mm up to Thickness ≤ 10mm
2)T/3 For thickness T › 10mm and up to≤ 57 mm
Slag Inclusion
3)19mm for thickness T › 57mm
Elongated
4) Aggregate Length of slag inclusions which are in line shall not exceed T (thickness) in a length of 12T, except the distance
between the inclusions exceeds 6L, where L is the length of the longest inclusion.
Rounded Indications
(If the length of the indication is less than 3 times width. Rounded indication may caused by porosity, slag, or other inclusions
which will be in round, elliptical or may be in irregular shape)

1) Max allowed = 20% of T(thickness) OR 3 mm which ever is less

2)For welds T≤ 3 mm, number of Rounded indications permitted is 12 in any 150 mm weld length.A proportionately fewer
number of round indications shall be permitted in weld length less than 150mm in length.
 AP1 1104 (2021)

Type of Acceptable Limits

Discontinuity
Incomplete 1)Individual Length ≤ 25mm:
Penetration 2) Aggregate Length in any 300 mm weld length shall be ≤ 25mm,
(Without High Low) 3) Aggregate Length exceeds 8 % of the weld length in any weld less than 300mm length.
Incomplete 1)Individual Length≤ 50mm:
Penetration due to 2) Aggregate Length in any 300 mm weld length shall be ≤ 75mm,
High-low (Mismatch)
1)Individual Length≤ 50mm:
Inadquate Cross
2) Aggregate Length in any 300 mm weld length shall be ≤ 50mm,
Penteration
1)Individual Length≤ 25mm:
Incomplete Fusion 2) Aggregate Length in any 300 mm weld length shall be ≤ 25mm,
3) Aggregate Length exceeds 8 % of the weld length in any weld less than 300mm length.
1)Individual Length≤ 50mm:
Incomplete Fusion due
2) Aggregate Length in any 300 mm weld length shall be ≤ 50mm,
to Cold lap
3) Aggregate Length exceeds 8 % of the weld length..
Any length of IC is Acceptable , Provided the density of the Radiography image of IC does not exceed the thinnest density of the
adjacent parent material.For any areas that exceed the density of the thinnest adjacent parent material , the IC shall be considered a
Internal Concavity
defect.

Burn thru When a portion of the area is thinner than the thinnest adjacent parent material.

For Pipe outer Dia ≥ 60.3mm:(Large Diameter Pipe) For Pipe outer Dia ≤ 60.3mm :( Small Diameter Pipe)
1) Max Length ≤ 50mm 1) Max Length ≤ 3T, Where T is thickness of the thinnest
Slag Inclusion
2)Aggregate Length in any continuous 300 mm weld length adjacent base material
Elongated
shall be ≤ 50mm
3) Max.Width ≤ 1.6 mm 2) Max Width≤ 1.6mm
3) Aggregate Length ESI Indication exceeds 8% of weld length. 3) Aggregate Length ESI Indication exceeds 8% of weld length.
 4)Parallel ESI indications separated by approximately the wide 4)Parallel ESI indications separated by approximately the wide
of the root bead (wagon track) shell be consider a single of the root bead (wagon track) shell be consider a single
indication unless the width of eitherof them exceeds 0.8mm.In indication unless the width of eitherof them exceeds 0.8mm.In
that event they shall be consider separate indication that event they shall be consider separate indication

For Pipe outer Dia ≥ 60.3mm:(Large Diameter Pipe)
1) Max Width ≤ 3mm
2) More than 4 indications in any continuous 300mm weld
length.
3) Aggregate Length shall be ≤ 13mm in any continuous
300mm weld length.
Slag Inclusion
4) Aggregate Length ISI Indication exceeds 8% of weld length.
Isolated
5)Parallel ESI indications separated by approximately the wide
of the root bead (wagon track) shell be consider a single
indication unless the width of eitherof them exceeds 0.8mm.In
that event they shall be consider separate indication
For Pipe outer Dia ≤ 60.3mm :( Small Diameter Pipe)
1)Max Length ≤ 2T
2)Max Width ≤1/2T , Where T is the thickness of the thinnest
adjacent base material
3) Aggregate Length ISI Indication exceeds 8% of weld length.
4)Parallel ESI indications separated by approximately the wide
of the root bead (wagon track) shell be consider a single
indication unless the width of eitherof them exceeds 0.8mm.In
that event they shall be consider separate indication

1)Max Size of individual porosity ≤ 3mm or 25% of the wall thickness, whichever is smaller.
Porosity Individual or
2) The max size of the individual por shall not exceed 25% of the thinner of the nominal wall thickness joined but not more than
Randomly distributed
3mm.
Hollow bead 1) Max Length ≤ 25mm
Porosity 2) Aggregate length shall be ≤ 50mm in continuous 300 mm weld length.
3) Aggregate length of all HB shall be ≤ 8% of the total weld length.
1)Not Permitted
Crack
2)Star or Crater Cracks – up to 4mm
1) Aggregate length of External Under Cut and Internal Under cut in any combination shall be ≤ 50mm in any continuous 300mm
weld length,
Undercutting
2) Aggregate length of External Under Cut and Internal Under cut in any combination shall be ≤ 1/6 of the total weld length,

1) Aggregate length of indications in any combination shall be ≤ 50mm in any continuous 300mm weld length,
Accumulation of
2) Aggregate length of indications in any combination shall be ≤ 8% of the total weld length,
Indications