ASME B31 Standards Committee Operating Guide

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ASME CODE FOR PRESSURE PIPING - B31 COMMITTEE

Operating Guide
Approved June 24, 2004 Approved February 15, 2005 Approved April 21, 2006 Approved September 22, 2006 Approved September 26, 2008

ASME B31 Standards Committee Operating Guide

1. Introduction

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This Operating Guide describes how the ASME B31 Standards Committee operates. The guidance provided here supplements the requirements described in the procedures.

2. Subordinate Groups 2.1 Subordinate Groups of the B31 Standards Committee The B31 Standards Committee has the following subordinate groups: Executive Committee The membership and duties of the Executive Committee are described in para. 4. B31.1 Section Committee The B31.1 Section Committee is responsible for maintaining the B31.1 Power Piping Code B31.3 Section Committee The B31.3 Section Committee is responsible for maintaining the B31.3 Process Piping Code. B31.4 Section Committee The B31.4 Section Committee is responsible for maintaining the B31.4 Liquid Pipeline Transportation Code and the B31.11 Slurry Transportation Piping Code B31.5 Section Committee The B31.5 Section Committee is responsible for maintaining the B31.5 Refrigeration Piping Code. B31.8 Section Committee The B31.8 Section Committee is responsible for maintaining the B31.8 Gas Transmission and Distribution Piping Code and the B31.8S supplement. B31.9 Section Committee The B31.9 Section Committee is responsible for maintaining the B31.9 Building Services Piping Code. B31.12 Section Committee The B31.12 Section Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of the new code for hydrogen piping and pipelines. Fabrication and Examination Technical Committee The Fabrication and Examination Technical Committee reviews Code Sections and proposes changes to Sections concerning consistency of construction requirements provides technical guidance on fabrication, examination, erection and testing issues to Section Committees develops and maintains standards as approved by the Standards Committee and the BPTCS (No standards are approved at this time.) Mechanical Design Technical Committee The Mechanical Design Technical Committee reviews Code Sections and proposes changes to Sections concerning consistency of design requirements provides technical guidance on design issues to Section Committees

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develops and maintains standards as approved by the Standards Committee and the BPTCS. Approved standards projects are: o B31E Standard for the Seismic Design and Retrofit of Above Ground Piping Systems o B31G Manual for Determining the Remaining Strength of Corroded Pipelines o B31H Standard Method to Establish Maximum Allowable Design Pressures for Piping Components o B31J Standard Test Method for Determining Stress Intensification Factors (i-Factors) for Metallic Piping Components

Materials Technical Committee The Materials Technical Committee reviews Code Sections and proposes changes to Sections concerning consistency of material requirements provides technical guidance on material issues to Section Committees develops and maintains standards as approved by the Standards Committee and the BPTCS. Approved standards projects are: o B31T Standard Toughness Requirements for Piping (pending approval) Pipeline Personnel Qualification Technical Committee The Pipeline Personnel Qualification Technical Committee is responsible for develops and maintains standards as approved by the Standards Committee and the BPTCS. Approved standards projects are: o B31Q - Pipeline Personnel Qualification Standard

Honors and Awards Committee The Honors and Awards Committee is responsible for administering awards including: Certificates of Appreciation Certificates of Acclamation Certificates of Achievement Leadership Award B31 Forever Medal for Excellence in Piping

2.2 Subordinate Group Chairs Chairs of Section Committees and Technical Committees shall serve no more than two consecutive three-year terms. This limit can be exceeded for special circumstances if approved by 2/3 of the standards committee members. An example of a special circumstance is that there is no other candidate who is willing to serve.

3. Nomination of Standards Committee Officers The nomination of the B31 Standards Committee Chair and Vice Chair shall be as follows: a. The Secretary submits to members of the standards committee a list of the names of members of the standards committee who are willing to serve in the office. Individual members may be excluded from this list by request; b. Each member is requested to mark in order, their preference for the office by the numerals 3-2-1 (i.e., 3 for first choice, 2 for second choice, and 1 for the third choice).

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c. The two persons whose names receive the highest number of points, or additional names if there is a tie for second, are the nominees. d. After confirming the nominees will serve if elected, the Secretary submits the names of the nominees on a ballot to all members of the standards committee for voting. If one of the nominees is not willing to serve, then the member with the next highest number of points becomes a nominee.

4. Executive Committee 4.1 Executive Committee Duties The B31 Executive Committee shall be responsible for consideration of personnel and administrative items or actions relating to policy or ASME position, and making recommendations to the Standards Committee. . Routine items may be considered by the Standards Committee without being first considered by the Executive Committee. 4.2 Executive Committee Officers The appointed Vice Chair of the B31 Standards Committee shall serve as the Chair of the B31 Executive Committee. The Vice Chair of the B31 Executive Committee shall be approved by the Standards Committee. 4.3 Executive Committee Members Members of the Executive Committee must be members of the Standards Committee include the Chairs of the B31 Section and Technical Committees, who are automatically made members, and include at-large members, who are approved by the Standards Committee. Balance of membership among interest categories is not required.

5. Member Interest Balance In addition to balance by member interest categories described in the procedures, B31 Standards Committee membership should be balanced with members from the Section Committees. The purpose is to ensure balanced views between commercial piping, industrial piping and pipeline interests. The guideline for the minimum number of B31 Members from each Section Committee is as follows: The Chair of each Section and Technical Committee should be a member. Additional persons from each Section Committee should be members; the number of which is proportional to the number of Section Committee members, but in no case no fewer than one person. Target Minimum Number of B31 Members 4 4 2 2

Section Committee B31.1 B31.3 B31.4 B31.5

ASME B31 Standards Committee Operating Guide

B31.8 B31.9 B31.12 5 2 2

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Whenever the number of members from a Section Committee falls below the target minimum number shown in the table above, the Section Committee should propose additional member(s). There is no intent to limit the number of B31 Members from a Section Committee.

6. Intent Interpretations Interpretations shall not revise existing requirements or establish new requirements except as permitted below for intent interpretations: Technical inquiries that cannot be answered correctly on the basis of existing wording of the Code may be answerable by an intent interpretation. Intent interpretations are permitted only to clarify conflicting or ambiguous wording or to resolve incorrect wording. An intent interpretation shall be submitted to the standards committee for approval along with the revision(s) to the standard that support the intent interpretation. Both the intent interpretation and the revision(s) to the standard must be approved for the interpretation to be issued. The intent interpretation and the implementing revision(s) shall be approved by letter ballot of the standards committee. Both the implementing revision(s) and the intent interpretation shall be approved as a Standards Action. The approved intent interpretation shall be sent to the original inquirer when the cognizant Board (BPTCS) has approved the implementing revision(s).

7. Code Cases Code Cases may be issued for the purpose of providing, when the need is urgent, alternative rules for materials, construction, examination, testing, or in-service inspection activities not covered by existing Code rules, or to permit early implementation of an approved Code revision. Code Cases are effective for use upon the approval date of the cognizant Board. Code Cases require approval by the standards committee and the cognizant Board by the same approval process as Standards Actions except for 8.1 and 9.2.

8. Revisions Changes to this guide require approval by the Standards Committee.