API codes and standards

Larson, R.J., Vapor Accumulations within Covered Floating Roof Tanks, Annual Meeting of API Codes and Standards Committee, Los Angeles, CA, May 4, 1966. 

The wall thickness of the coil can be chosen by using any number of recognized codes and standards. In the United States, the most commonly recognized are American National Standard Institute (ANSI) B31.3 and B31.8, or American Petroleum Institute (API) Specification 12 K. Volume 1 has the tables for ANSI B31.3 and ANSI B31.8. Table. - -1... 

Process equipment design and materials must be documented by identifying the applicable codes and standards (e g., ASME, ASTM, API). If the codes and standards are not current, the DOE contractor must document that the design, construction, testing, inspection, and operation are still suitable for the intended use. If the process technology requires a design that departs from the applicable codes and standards, the contractor must document that the design and construction are suitable for the intended purpose. 

Recognized international codes and standards applicable to petroleum facilities should be used (e.g., API, ASME, NACE, NFPA, etc.) in the design and in any proposed modifications. However it should be realized that compliance with applicable codes and standards is not sufficient in itself to ensure a safe design is provide. 

Information on fire protection codes and standards are available from several sources, including the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), the Eire Suppression Systems Association (ESSA), and the American Petroleum Institute (API). Jurisdictions that provide requirements for fire protection include federal, state, and local agencies. This Guideline bridges the regulatory requirements and industry standards with practical application and provides ... 

Design codes and standards employed (API, NFPA, ANSI, ASME, NACE, etc.). 

Design codes and standards such as API RP 521 and the DIERS Project Manual (Fisher et al., 1992) should be consulted for other correlations and recommended methods for calculating relief loads. The DIERS Project Manual also discusses calculation of relief loads for underpressure scenarios (Section 13.17.6). 

Material from the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code is reproduced with permission of ASME International, Three Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016. Material from the API Recommended Practices is reproduced with permission of the American Petroleum Institute, 1220 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005. Material from British Standards is reproduced by permission of the British Standards Institution, 389 Chiswick High Road, London, W4 4AL, United Kingdom. Complete copies of the codes and standards can be obtained from these organizations. 

Codes and standards are usually prepared by professional bodies such as the ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers), the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), and the API. These organizations generally receive their funding from industrial sponsors, the sale of journals and seminars, and the membership fees of engineers and other technical professionals. Generally, the standards are developed by committees made up of professionals who have many years of experience in the pertinent specialist area. 

Chairs, conveners, and task group leaders of aU Standards Development Organizations in the USA and Canada developing codes and standards for hydrogen technologies such as NFPA, ICC, API, CSA America, ASTM, ASME, NIST, CGA, SAE, and BNQ (Canada). 

Each principal area or system will be addressed by using the Government Rules and Regulations, applicable Rules and Standards, American Codes and Standards, and API Recommended Practices. Where several controlling documents appear to apply, a risk-based approach will be adopted to ensure that an equivalent level of safety is achieved. 

Various professional and industrial organizations have created codes and standards that are applicable to the design, selection, and use of industrial products. Certain of these standards are peculiar to specific industries, such as those set up by the American Petroleum Institute (API), American Water Works Association (AWWA), American Gas Association (AGA), American National Standards Institute (ANSI), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and Manufacturers Standardization Society (MSS) of the Valve and Fittings Industry. These are but a few of the existing organizations. 

Ellenberger, P. 2010. Piping and Pipeline Calculations Manual Construction, Design Fabrication and Examination. Burlington, MA Oxford, U.K. Butterworth-Heinemann. Provides a quick reference guide to codes and standards and gives practical advice on compliance. Covers codes from ASME and API. 

The mean time to failure of various instrumentation and equipment parts would be known from the manufacturer s data or the company s experience with the parts, which then influence inspection and testing frequency and associated procedures. Also, applicable codes and standards—such as the National Board inspection Code, or those from the ASTM, API, NFPA, American National Standards institute, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and other groups— provide information to help establish an effective testing and inspection frequency, as weU as appropriate methodologies. 

Several industry standards, codes, and company internal standards were used in developing the information in Table 1.2. These include internal company standards NFPA 30, Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code (Ref. 22) NFPA 59A. Liquefied Natural Gas (Ref. 23) API 2510, Design and Construction of Liquefied Petroleum Gas(LPG) Installations (Ref. 24) iRlnformation IM.2.5.2, Plant Layout and Spacing for Oil and Chemical Plants (Ref. 25), and Factory Mutual 7-44, Spacing of Facilities In Outdoor Chemical Plants (Ref. 26). 

As already mentioned in the previous chapter, SRVs are completely governed by local codes and regulations. However, since 2002 the two major worldwide codes are ASME and PED. Both are laws and are, in any case, the basis of most international codes. There might be detailed but usually irrelevant differences, but if it complies with either or both ASME and PED, it is my opinion that your system is safe. The main problem is that a lot of installations do not comply with ASME, PED or local codes because of misinterpretations of these codes, which we will try to address and clarify further in this handbook. The worldwide governing standards and recommended practices are API 520 and EN4126, and here the reasoning is the same as with the codes. 

API 510 Pressure Vessel Inspection Code—Maintenance, Inspection, Rating, and Alteration, June 1989, is an owner/user code and an excellent inspection reference. [17] Some countries, provinces, and states require pressure vessels to be inspected by government agents. In those cases, the governing agency rules should be the standard reference. 

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