TEST PROTOCOL FOR GUIDED WAVE ULTRASONIC TESTING ON

WESTHOLLOW PIPING TEST LOOP

Examinee name
Test date
Company name
Phone number
E-mail
Mobilization location
Test point number
Weather conditions
Time to take test

1 GENERAL
The Examinee shall be familiarized with this Protocol before arriving at Westhollow
Technology Center.
The test includes system set-up, data collection, data analysis, and reporting. The test
will be timed. Maximum of five hours is allowed for the Examinee to finish the test. The
examination must start at 9:00 am unless specific arrangements have been agreed to in
advance. The testing must be complete by 3:00 pm, including 1 hour for lunch. The
Examinee is advised to arrive at 8:00 am to get ready for the test.
Prior to test, the Examinee shall present proof certification of training, equivalent to a
guided wave Level-I or higher, provided by the equipment manufacturer, not the NDE
service provider company. The Examinee shall also present an employer’s procedure
before the test. These documents shall be made available to the Administrator one week
prior to the test date.
No form of data, electronic or otherwise, shall be taken away by the Examinee.

2 DATA COLLECTION
The Examinee is advised the following information regarding the test loop.
Diameter: 16".
Length: 250 feet.
Wall thickness: 0.375”.
Material: carbon steel.
Test loop shape: the test loop contains two arms and two 90 degree elbows,
the longer arm 197 feet and the shorter arm 38 feet long.
The test loop is covered with a removable jacket.
The test loop contains two heat tracers.
The test loop orientation is horizontal, about 3 feet above ground.

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 The test loop contains internal and external defects, including both natural and
artificial wall loss.
The test loop is filled with water.

Test loop photograph

Test Point 7

Test Point 1 Test Point 5

Test point locations

The data shall be acquired with a Westhollow laptop computer to maintain test security.
The Examinee shall provide the software to be installed on the Westhollow computer for
the duration of the test. All other equipments needed for data collection shall be
furnished by the Examinee.
No prove-up inspections shall be allowed. No insulation shall be removed or tempered at
any location except the appointed test points.
Data shall be collected at the following test points marked on the pipe, with the coverage
shown. The Examinee shall not collect data beyond the limits provided.

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 Test Point +/- (Feet)

1 -40, +40

5 -60, +60

7 -30, +30

The transducer ring must be installed between the marked lines on the pipe at the location
identified.
The Examinee shall follow the inspection procedure of his/her employer for data
collection and analysis.
The Examinee is allowed to physically measure the position of the visible position of the
features (e.g. pipe shoes, vents, etc.).

3 DATA ANALYSIS AND REPORTING

An office will be provided to the Examinee for data analysis and report.
The Examinee shall present a completed field report using the standard format provided
by the software used. As a minimum, this report shall consist of a results graph
(including the pipe diagram showing all discontinuities identified), a discontinuity list
including the dead zone, and the test information.
The discontinuity list shall contain as a minimum: discontinuity number, location, ECL
(Estimated Cross-sectional Loss), class, circumference affected, and notes.
A false call is an indication that is reported by the Examinee but not supported by the
collected guided wave data. When a corrosion zone is reported, every foot of pipe within
the corrosion zone that is actually free of corrosion will be counted as one false call.
The Examinee shall turn in all field notes to the test Administrator at the end of the exam.
The Examinee shall not share their knowledge of the test results in any form with any
other individual/party.

4 GRADING
The Examinee’s results shall be evaluated based on the performance of the Examinee at
the following categories:
a) Probability of detection for welds;
b) Probability of detection for wall loss;
c) False call rate;
d) Classification of indications into one of three types: weld, wall loss, and pipe
feature.
The result of the performance demonstration test will be reported to the Examinee within
four weeks from the completion of the test. The successful Examinee must pass all the

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Categories listed above. In the case of a failure, the Category, or Categories, in which the
Examinee failed to meet the established criteria will be reported.

5 RETEST
An Examinee failed the performance demonstration test shall not be allowed to re-take
the test within 3 months of the previous test.

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