INSPECTION OF ERECTION OF OIL STORAGE TANK

1. WELDING:
I) NO WELDING SHALL BE PERFORMED ON ANY WET PLATE BY RAIN, WATER, ICE ETC.
II) EACH LAYER OF WELD METAL OR MULTILAYER WELDING SHALL BE CLEANED OF SLAG AND OTHER
DEPOSITS BEFORE THE NEXT LAYER IS APPLIED.
III) DURING WELDING OPERATION, PLATE SHALL BE HELD CLOSE CONTACT IN ALL LAP JOINTS.
IV) TACK WELD SHALL BE REMOVED DURING VERTICLE JOINTS OF SHELL PLATES.
V) LOW HYDROGEN ELECTRODES SHALL BE USED FOR ALL MANUAL METAL-ARC WELDS IN ANNULAR
RINGS & SHELL COURSES INCLUDING THE ATTACHMENT OF FIRST SHELL COURSE TO
BOTTOM/ANNULAR PLATES.
VI) THE EDGES OF ALL WELDS SHALL MERGE WITH THE SURFACE OF THE PLATE
WITHOUT A SHARP ANGLE. FOR VERTICAL BUTT JOINTS, THE MAXIMUM
ACCEPTABLE UNDERCUTTING IS 0.4 MM (1/64 IN.) OF THE BASE METAL. FOR
HORIZONTAL BUTT JOINTS, UNDERCUTTING NOT EXCEEDING 0.8 MM (1/32 IN.) IN
DEPTH IS ACCEPTABLE.

VI) BUTT-WELDS:
COMPLETE PENETRATION AND COMPLETE FUSION ARE REQUIRED FOR WELDS JOINING SHELL
PLATES TO SHELL PLATES. INSPECTION FOR THE QUALITY OF THE WELDS SHALL BE MADE
USING EITHER THE RADIOGRAPHIC METHOD OR ULTRASONIC METHOD. IN ADDITION
VISUALLY EXAMINATION CAN BE DONE FOR ALL BUTT-WELDS FOR CRACKS, ARC STRIKES,
EXCESSIVE UNDERCUT, AND SURFACE POROSITY, INCOMPLETE FUSION, AND OTHER DEFECTS.

VII) FILLET WELDS:

FILLET WELDS SHALL BE INSPECTED BY THE VISUAL METHOD. THE FINAL WELD SHALL BE
CLEANED OF SLAG AND OTHER DEPOSITS PRIOR TO INSPECTION.

SINGLE-WELDED LAP JOINTS ARE PERMISSIBLE ONLY ON BOTTOM PLATES AND

ROOF PLATES.
 LAP-WELDED JOINTS, AS TACK-WELDED, SHALL BE LAPPED AT LEAST FIVE
TIMES THE NOMINAL THICKNESS OF THE THINNER PLATE JOINED; HOWEVER,
WITH DOUBLE-WELDED LAP JOINTS, THE LAP NEED NOT EXCEED 50 MM (2 IN.),
AND WITH SINGLE-WELDED LAP JOINTS, THE LAP NEED NOT EXCEED 25 MM (1
IN.).

VIII) FILLET WELD SIZE:

THE MINIMUM SIZE OF FILLET WELDS SHALL BE AS FOLLOWS: ON PLATES 5 MM
(3/16 IN.) THICK, THE WELD SHALL BE A FULL-FILLET WELD, AND ON PLATES
MORE THAN 5 MM (3/16 IN.) THICK, THE WELD THICKNESS SHALL NOT BE LESS
THAN ONE-THIRD THE THICKNESS OF THE THINNER PLATE AT THE JOINT
AND SHALL BE AT LEAST 5 MM (3/16 IN.)

2. BOTTOMS:
I) AFTER THE BOTTOM PLATES ARE LAID OUT AND TACKED, THEY SHALL BE JOINED BY WELDING THE
JOINTS IN SEQUENCE THAT RESULTS IN THE LEAST DISTORTION FROM SHRINKAGE AND THUS TO
PROVIDE AS NEARLY AS POSSIBLE AS A PLANE SURFACE.
II) THE WELDING OF THE SHELL TO BOTTOM SHALL BE PRACTICALLY COMPLETED BEFORE THE
WELDING OF THE BOTTOM JOINTS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN LEFT OPEN TO COMPENSATE FOR
SHRINKAGE OF ANY WELDS PREVIOUSLY MADE IS COMPLETED.
III) SHELL PLATES MAY BE ALIGNED BY METAL CLIPS ATTACHED TO THE BOTTOM PLATES, THE SHELL
MAY BE TACK WELDED TO THE BOTTOM BEFORE CONTINUOUS WELDING IS STARTED BETWEEN THE
BOTTOM EDGE OF THE SHELL PLATE AND THE BOTTOM PLATES.
IV) BACKING STRIP SHOULD BE TACK WELDED WITH ANNULAR PLATE.

V) LAP WELDED BOTTOM PLATES:

A) LAP-WELDED BOTTOM PLATES SHALL BE REASONABLY RECTANGULAR AND

SQUARE EDGED. THREE-PLATE LAPS IN TANK BOTTOMS SHALL BE AT LEAST 300
MM (12 IN.) FROM EACH OTHER, FROM THE TANK SHELL, FROM BUTT-
WELDEDANNULAR-PLATE JOINTS, AND FROM JOINTS BETWEEN ANNULAR
PLATES AND THE BOTTOM. LAPPING OF TWO BOTTOM PLATES ON THE BUTT-
WELDED ANNULAR PLATES DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A THREE-PLATE LAP WELD.
WHEN ANNULAR PLATES ARE USED, THEY SHALL BE BUTT-WELDED AND SHALL
HAVE A RADIAL WIDTH THAT PROVIDES AT LEAST 600 MM (24 IN.)
BETWEEN THE INSIDE OF THE SHELL AND ANY LAP-WELDED JOINT IN THE
REMAINDER OF THE BOTTOM. BOTTOM PLATES NEED TO BE WELDED ON THE
TOP SIDE ONLY, WITH A CONTINUOUS FULL-FILLET WELD ON ALL SEAMS.
UNLESS ANNULAR BOTTOM PLATES ARE USED, THE BOTTOM PLATES UNDER
THE BOTTOM SHELL RING SHALL HAVE THE OUTER ENDS OF THE JOINTS
FITTED AND LAP-WELDED TO FORM A SMOOTH BEARING FOR THE SHELL PLATES.

VI) BUTT-WELDED BOTTOM JOINTS:

BUTT-WELDED BOTTOM PLATES SHALL HAVE THEIR PARALLEL EDGES
PREPARED FOR BUTT WELDING WITH EITHER SQUARE OR V GROOVES. BUTT-
WELDS SHALL BE MADE USING AN APPROPRIATE WELD JOINT CONFIGURATION
THAT YIELDS A COMPLETE PENETRATION WELD. THE USE OF A BACKING
STRIP AT LEAST 3 MM (1/8 IN.) THICK TACK WELDED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE
PLATE IS PERMITTED. IF SQUARE GROOVES ARE EMPLOYED; THE ROOT OPENINGS
SHALL NOT BE LESS THAN 6 MM (1/4 IN.). A METAL SPACER SHALL BE USED TO
MAINTAIN THE ROOT OPENING BETWEEN THE ADJOINING PLATE EDGES UNLESS
THE MANUFACTURER SUBMITS ANOTHER METHOD OF BUTT-WELDING THE
 BOTTOM FOR THE PURCHASERS APPROVAL. THREE-PLATE JOINTS IN THE
TANK BOTTOM SHALL BE AT LEAST 300 MM (12 IN.) FROM EACH OTHER AND
FROM THE TANK SHELL.

VII) SHELL-TO-BOTTOM FILLET WELDS:

FOR BOTTOM AND ANNULAR PLATES WITH A NOMINAL THICKNESS 12.5 MM ( 1/2 IN.), AND
LESS, THE ATTACHMENT BETWEEN THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE LOWEST COURSE SHELL
PLATE AND THE BOTTOM PLATE SHALL BE A CONTINUOUS FILLET WELD LAID ON EACH SIDE
OF THE SHELL PLATE. THE SIZE OF EACH WELD SHALL NOT BE MORE THAN 12.5 MM ( 1/2
IN.) AND SHALL NOT BE LESS THAN THE NOMINAL THICKNESS OF THE THINNER OF THE
TWO PLATES JOINED (THAT IS, THE SHELL PLATE OR THE BOTTOM PLATE
IMMEDIATELY UNDER THE SHELL) IT MEANS 10 MM OR LESS THAN THE 6MM.

3. SHELLS:
I) DURING BUTT WELDING ON SHELL PLATES, PLATES JOINED SHALL BE MATCHED ACCURATELY AND
RETAINED IN POSITION.
II) PLATES THICKNESS LESS OR EQUAL 16 MM, MISALIGNMENT SHALL NOT EXCEED 1.5 MM.
III) IN COMPLETED HORIZONTAL BUTT JOINTS, THE UPPER PLATE SHALL NOT PROJECT BEYOND THE
FACE OF THE LOWER PLATE AT ANY POINT BY MORE THAN 20% OF THE THICKNESS OF THE UPPER
PLATE, WITH A MAXIMUM PROJECTION OF 3 MM (1/8 IN.); HOWEVER, FOR UPPER PLATES LESS
THAN 8 MM (5/16 IN.) THICK, THE MAXIMUM PROJECTION SHALL BE LIMITED TO 1.5 MM (1/16 IN.).
IV) THE REVERSE SIDE OF DOUBLE-WELDED BUTT JOINTS SHALL BE THOROUGHLY CLEANED
IN A MANNER THAT WILL LEAVE THE EXPOSED SURFACE SATISFACTORY FOR FUSION OF THE
WELD METAL TO BE ADDED, PRIOR TO THE APPLICATION OF THE FIRST BEAD TO THE
SECOND SIDE. THIS CLEANING MAY BE DONE BY CHIPPING; GRINDING; MELTING OUT; OR
WHERE THE BACK OF THE INITIAL BEAD IS SMOOTH AND FREE FROM CREVICES.
V) COMPLETED WELDS OF STRESS-RELIEVED ASSEMBLIES SHALL BE EXAMINED BY VISUAL,
AS WELL AS BY MAGNETIC PARTICLE OR PENETRATE METHODS, AFTER STRESS RELIEF, BUT
BEFORE HYDROSTATIC TEST.
4. SHELL TO BOTTOM WELDS:
I) THE WELD SURFACE SHOULD BE EXAMINED FOR SLAG, NON METALS CLEANED FROM THEM.
II) AFTER FIRST WELD PASS SHALL CHECK THE WELDING PROPERLY.

5. EXAMINATION OF TESTING OF TANK BOTTOM:

I) UPON COMPLETION OF WELDING OF THE TANK BOTTOM, THE BOTTOM WELDS AND
PLATES SHALL BE EXAMINED VISUALLY FOR ANY POTENTIAL DEFECTS
AND LEAKS. PARTICULAR ATTENTION SHALL APPLY TO AREAS SUCH AS SUMPS,
DENTS, GOUGES, THREE-PLATE LAPS, BOTTOM PLATE BREAKDOWNS, ARC
STRIKES, TEMPORARY ATTACHMENT REMOVAL AREAS, AND WELDING LEAD ARC
BURNS.

6. ROUNDNESS:
RADII MEASUREMENT AT 0.3 M/1FT ABOVE THE BOTTOM CORNER WELD SHALL NOT EXCEED 19
MM FOR 5000 M3 AND 13 FOR ALL OTHER SMALL TANKS.

7. REPAIR OF WELD DEFECTS:

ALL DEFECTS FOUND IN WELDS SHALL BE CALLED TO THE ATTENTION OF THE

PURCHASERS INSPECTOR, AND THE INSPECTORS APPROVAL SHALL BE OBTAINED
BEFORE THE DEFECTS ARE REPAIRED. ALL COMPLETED REPAIRS SHALL BE SUBJECT
TO THE APPROVAL OF THE PURCHASERS INSPECTOR. ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA ARE
SPECIFIED IN 6.2, 6.4, AND 6.5, AS APPLICABLE.

PINHOLE LEAKS OR POROSITY IN A TANK BOTTOM JOINT MAY BE REPAIRED BY

APPLYING AN ADDITIONAL WELD BEAD OVER THE DEFECTIVE AREA. OTHER
DEFECTS OR CRACKS IN TANK BOTTOM OR TANK ROOF (INCLUDING FLOATING
ROOFS IN APPENDIX C) JOINTS SHALL BE REPAIRED AS REQUIRED BY 6.1.7.
MECHANICAL CAULKING IS NOT PERMITTED.

ALL DEFECTS, CRACKS, OR LEAKS IN SHELL JOINTS OR THE SHELL-TO-BOTTOM

JOINT SHALL BE REPAIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH 6.1.7.

REPAIRS OF DEFECTS DISCOVERED AFTER THE TANK HAS BEEN FILLED WITH WATER
FOR TESTING SHALL BE MADE WITH THE WATER LEVEL AT LEAST 0.3 M (1 FT)
BELOW ANY POINT BEING REPAIRED OR, IF REPAIRS HAVE TO BE MADE ON OR NEAR
THE TANK BOTTOM, WITH THE TANK EMPTY. WELDING SHALL NOT BE DONE ON ANY
TANK UNLESS ALL CONNECTING LINES HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY BLINDED. REPAIRS
SHALL
NOT BE ATTEMPTED ON A TANK THAT IS FILLED WITH OIL OR THAT HAS CONTAINED
OIL UNTIL THE TANK HAS BEEN EMPTIED, CLEANED.
DEFECTS IN WELDS SHALL BE REPAIRED BY CHIPPING OR MELTING OUT THE
DEFECTS FROM ONE SIDE OR BOTH SIDES OF THE JOINT, AS REQUIRED, AND
REWELDING. ONLY THE CUTTING OUT OF DEFECTIVE JOINTS THAT IS
NECESSARY TO CORRECT THE DEFECTS IS REQUIRED.