INSPECTION, TEST, MARKING AND

RECORDS OF UNFIRED PRESSURE

VESSELS.
BY
MFD14I001
MFD14I002
MFD14I003
MFD14I004
 INSPECTION & TESTS
Inspection shall be made at the various stages of construction depending on the classification of the vessel.

1. Inspection during manufacturing

All materials to be used for pressure parts of vessels shall be inspected before fabrication for the purpose of detecting
defects which may affect the safety of the vessel.

• Identification of materials- The inspector shall ensure that all material before use is properly identified as complying
with the code requirements.

• Inspection during fabrication- The inspector shall make inspections of each vessel at such stages of fabrication as he
deems necessary to assure himself that the fabrication is according to code requirements.

Before assembly, all. shell sections, ends, rings, etc, shall be examined for conformity to prescribed shape and checked for
thickness and dimensions.

• Heat treatment check- The inspector shall satisfy himself that stress-relieving procedure or other heat treatment,
as may be necessary, has been correctly carried out.
2 . Inspection of completed pressure vessels
• Visual inspection
• Radiographic inspection
3 . Pressure tests
• Standard hydrostatic test - for simple vessels where thickness of all pressure parts can be calculated.
• Proof hydrostatic tests - for complex vessels the thickness of which cannot be computed with a satisfactory
assurance of accuracy and for which the maximum working pressure has to be based upon the distortion pressure.

• Pneumatic tests - for vessels so designed and/ or_ supported that they cannot be safely filled with the testing
liquid or for- vessel that are to be used in services where even small traces of the testing liquid cannot be tolerated.
3 . Pneumatic test
• Procedure- The pressure shall gradually be increased to not more than 50 percent of the test pressure. Thereafter the
pressure shall be increased in steps of approximately 10 percent of the test pressure till the required test pressure is
reached. Then the pressure shall be reduced to the value of the equivalent design pressure and held at the pressure for a
sufficient time to permit inspection of the vessel.

4 . Mechanical tests of fusion welded seams

• Vessels subjected to severe duty or with a weld joint

efficiency factor J = 0.9 to 1.0 shall be provided

with two test plates to represent the welding of all

the longitudinal seams of the first six shells or part

thereof. Vessels with more than six shells shall have

a test plate for every third additional shell or part

thereof.
• Vessels subjected to medium duty or with a weld joint efficiency factor J = 0.8 to 0.85 shall be provided with two test
plates to represent all the Test plates shall be prepared as the layout of test specimens is suggested in Figure.

• The test plates shall be supported or reinforced during

welding in order to prevent undue final heat treatment .

The test plates shall be warping and distortion during

welding in figure.

It is desired to straighten test plates which have warped

during welding, they may be straightened at a
temperature below the temperature of heat treatment of
the shell to which they belong.
Straightening shall take place before final heat
treatment. The test plates shall ‘be subjected to the same
heat treatment as required for the work piece they
belong to.
5. Impact tests
• The notched bar impact test specimens are to be one of the two types and dimensions shown in figure.

• The notch is to be contained in the weld metal at approximately the axis of the weld and the axis of the
notch is to be perpendicular to the surface of the plate.

• The notches should be located according to orientation ‘A’ and ‘B’. Orientation ‘A’ is suitable for use with 10
mm square and sub-standard size specimens. Orientation ‘B’ is suitable for use with 10 mm square
specimens only.
6 . Bend test
• The face and root bend test specimens shall be rectangular in section so as to have a width equal to 1&half
times the thickness of the specimen subject to a minimum width of 30 mm. The surfaces of the specimen shall
be machined or dressed just to remove the surface irregularities of the plate -and weld, The corners of the
specimens shall be rounded to a radius not exceeding
10 percent of the thickness of the specimen.
The length of the specimen shall be such that it
satisfies the test requirements.
• Where the plate thickness does not exceed 30 mm,
the thickness of the face and root bend specimens
shall be equal to the thickness of the test plate.
7 . Nick break test
• The nick break test specimen shall be of rectangular section as shown in Fig. 8.8. Where the plate thickness does
not exceed 30 mm, the thickness of the specimen shall be equal to the full thickness of the plate. Where the plate
thickness exceeds 30 mm, the specimen shall in all cases have a thickness of at least 30 mm. The nick break test
piece shall be suitably supported so that the notch is at the center of fusion surface of the test specimen and shall
be broken by means of a former or by a blow or blows.

8 . Macro test
• The specimen shall be the full thickness of the plate at the weld joint and the
excess weld metal and penetration bead shall be left intact. The shape and
dimensions of the specimen shall be in accordance with Figure.
• Material cut from this specimen may be used for micro examination, where
necessary.
• There are requirements for
every testing done to the
samples.
Non-Destructive techniques & repairs of welded seams
• Radiography-A
It covers the radiographic examination of all longitudinal and circumferential butt welds in drums, shells and headers
throughout their whole length including points of intersection with other joints.

• Preparation of Welds for Radiographic Examination - All butt welded joints to be radiographed shall be free from weld
ripples or weld surface irregularities on both the inside and the outside, to a ‘degree such that the resulting radiographic
contrast due to any remaining irregularities cannot be confused with that of any objectionable defects. Also the weld
surface shall merge smoothly into the plate surface.

• Interpretation of Radiographs - The examination of radiographs of welds shall be made on the original films, using a
viewing device of suitable illuminating power.

• Radiography-B
Spot or check radiographic examination of the welded joints in question, comprising at least 10 percent of their
whole length. The individual radiographs should not be shorter than 25 cm unless this is necessitated by the shape of
the joints, the radiographic examination shall in all cases comprise all points of intersection with other joints, unless
these points have already been examined by the radiographic examination of the other joints. At least one
radiograph for the work of each welder or welding operator used in the fabrication of the vessel is necessary.
• Radiographic Examination
• Identification of radiographs- Numerals shall be stamped on the vessel alongside the welded seams so that each
radiograph may be identified with the portion of seam represented. The stamped impression shall be of a suitable

• Testing technique - The radiographictechnique shall be capable of detecting difference in metal thickness of at least 2
percent of the thickness of the plate under examination, and this shall be clearly indicated on each individual radiograph
by means of an adequate indicator radiographed on to the films.

• Re-examination of repaired joints- Welded joints or parts thereof, which do not show the quality required, shall be
repaired

• Other Non-destructive Testing Method

When special conditions make it expedient, radiography as specified may be replaced by other non-destructive
testing methods, for example, dye penetrant, magnetic or ultrasonic testing methods upon previous consent of the
inspecting authority, and on the condition that such testing methods may be considered to render an equally safe
evaluation of the quality of the welding work. Such non-destructive testing methods may also be employed to
ascertain the quality of welds, where radiography cannot be easily employed as in the case of fillet and butt welds
on branches and fittings.