The Industrial Plant Inspection

The inspections are done according to the following timelines:

Periodic external inspections
Overhaul or shutdown internal inspections
Emergency shutdown inspections
The inspection department in the industrial plants generally takes care of the static
equipment; rotating, electrical and instrumental equipment are not in the scope of the
inspection department, and normally, maintenance department takes care of those.
Some local authorities mandate that pressurized equipment be inspected in specific
intervals by third party inspection agencies. This is normally called third party
inspection of a plant.
The static equipment can be categorized as follows when referring to industrial plant
inspections:
Industrial Plant Inspection - Pressure vessels
The in-service inspection code for your pressure vessel inspection is API Standard 510.
The other API and ASME Codes can be used as supplementary information.
The following standards, codes and recommended practices are used for pressure vessel
inspection:
API Standard 510; Pressure Vessel Inspection Code: In-Service Inspection,
Rating, Repair, and Alteration
API Recommended Practice 572; Inspection Practices for Pressure Vessels
API Recommended Practice 576; Inspection of Pressure-relieving Devices
API Recommended Practice 577; Welding Inspection and Metallurgy
API Recommended Practice 571; Damage Mechanism Affecting Fixed Equipment
in the Refining Industry
ASME PCC-2; Repair of Pressure Equipment and Piping
National Board Inspection Code NB-23
ASME Section VIII; Rules for Constructing Pressure Vessels
Section IX, Welding and Brazing Qualifications
The last two items are specific codes for new construction; however, most of the
technical requirements for design, welding, NDE, and materials can be applied to the
inspection, rerating, repair, and alteration of in-service pressure vessels.
ASME PCC-2, NB-23 and API 510 can be used for pressure vessel repair.
The NB-23 code covers the rules and guidelines for in-service inspection, repair, and
alteration of pressure- retaining items.
Industrial Plant Inspection - Piping Systems
The in-service inspection code for your piping system inspection is API Standard 570.
The other API and ASME Code can be used as supplementary information.
The following standards, codes and recommended practices are used for pressure vessel
inspection:
API Standard 570; Piping Inspection Code: In-service Inspection, Rating, Repair,
and Alteration of Piping Systems
API Recommended Practice 574; Inspection Practices for Piping System
Components
API Recommended Practice 577; Welding Inspection and Metallurgy
API Recommended Practice 571; Damage Mechanism Affecting Fixed Equipment
in the Refining Industry
API Recommended Practice 578; Material Verification Program for New and
Existing Alloy Piping Systems
ASME PCC-2; Repair of Pressure Equipment and Piping
ASME B16.5, Pipe Flanges and Flanged Fittings
ASME Section B31.3; Rules for Constructing Process Piping
Section IX, Welding and Brazing Qualifications
The last three items are specific codes for new construction; however, most of the
technical requirements for design, welding, NDE, and materials can be applied to the
inspection, rerating, repair, and alteration of in-service piping systems.
ASME PCC-2, NB-23 and API 570 can be used for Piping repair.
Industrial Plant Inspection-Storage Tank
The in-service inspection code for storage tank inspection is API Standard 653. The other
API and ASME Codes can be used as supplementary information.
Following standards, codes and recommended practices are used for storage tank
inspection:
API Standard 653; Tank Inspection, Repair, Alteration, and Reconstruction
API Recommended Practice 575; Inspection of Atmospheric and Low-Pressure
Storage Tanks
API Recommended Practice 651; Cathodic Protection of Aboveground Petroleum
Storage Tanks
API Recommended Practice 652; Lining of Aboveground Petroleum Storage Tank
Bottoms
API Recommended Practice 577; Welding Inspection and Metallurgy
API Recommended Practice 571; Damage Mechanism Affecting Fixed Equipment
in the Refining Industry
API Standard 650, Welded Steel Tanks for Oil Storage
Section IX, Welding and Brazing Qualifications
The last two items are specific codes for new construction; however, most of the
technical requirements for design, welding, NDE, and materials can be applied to the
inspection, rerating, repair, and alteration of in-service storage tanks.
Industrial Plant Inspection - Steam Boiler
The In-Service Inspection code for your steam boiler is ASME Section VII. The API
also has recommended practice for boiler inspection.
The following standards, codes and recommended practices are used for steam boiler
inspection:
ASME Section VII Recommended Guideline for the Care of Power Boilers
API Recommended Practice 573; Inspection of Fired Boilers and Heaters
API Recommended Practice 577; Welding Inspection and Metallurgy
API Recommended Practice 571; Damage Mechanism Affecting Fixed Equipment
in the Refining Industry
ASME Section I; Rules for Constructing of Power Boiler
Section IX, Welding and Brazing Qualifications
The last two items are specific codes for new construction; however, most of the
technical requirements for design, welding, NDE, and materials can be applied to the
inspection, rerating, repair, and alteration of boilers.
Industrial Plant Inspection - Process Heater
The In-Service Inspection code for your process heater is API Recommended Practice
573.
The following standards, codes and recommended practices are used for process heater
inspection:
API Recommended Practice 573; Inspection of Fired Boilers and Heaters
API Recommended Practice 577; Welding Inspection and Metallurgy
API Recommended Practice 571; Damage Mechanism Affecting Fixed Equipment
in the Refining Industry
API Standard 560; Fired Heaters for General Refinery Services
API Recommended Practice 556; Fired Heaters and Steam Generators
API Recommended Practice 535; Burners for Fired Heaters in General Refinery
Services
API Recommended Practice 534; Heat Recovery Steam Generators
ASME Section IX, Welding and Brazing Qualifications
Industrial Plant Inspection - Industrial Valves
The in-service inspection code for your Pressure-relieving Devices is API Recommended
Practice 576. This code needs to be used in conjunction with API STD 510.
The API 510 determines the requirement for inspection interval and API RP 576 specifies
the inspection practice.
The in-service code for other industrial valves such as Globe Valve, Gate Vale, Check
Valve and Plug Valve is addressed in the piping in-service inspection code as stated in
above. In other words, in API STD 570 and API RP 574.
If a major repair is carried out, then valve testing might be needed, which can be done
based on API Standard 598.
Industrial Plant Inspection - Risk Based Inspection
Based on the API 580 definition, the risk based inspection is a risk assessment and
management process that is focused on the loss of containment of pressurized equipment
in processing facilities, due to material deterioration.
These risks are managed primarily through equipment inspection.
The technique is almost new and applied in processing plants and is used as a
supplementary recommended practice for inspection intervals, method of inspections and
scope of inspections.
For example, you may determine your pressure vessel internal inspection based API 510
requirement or carry out the risk based inspection and determine the interval, method of
inspection and scope of inspection.
The API 510 allows you to choose this alternative method. API RP 580 is provides the
definition and general requirement for risk based inspection and API RP 581 introduces
you to a specific quantitative methodology for risk based inspection implementation in
your plant.
The Plant inspection is very wide in scope, and a single article might not be enough to
cover all aspects of this.