Plant Inspector

Fact Sheet No. 1

DON’T REACH FOR API 579 JUST YET…PART 1- EVALUATION OF PITTING
If you are involved in the Part 1 will cover the evaluation of pitting, we will cover other assessments
assessment of inspection data for in the coming weeks. As an inspector under the API 510 code you can
pressure vessels, then I’m sure at ignore widely scattered pits if all the following criteria are met:
some point you have referred to API
579 Parts 4 or 5 at some point in 1- No pit can be deep enough to breach 50% of the code required
your career due to metal loss? thickness. Top Tip- do this check first, there’s no point in
measuring all the pits only to find one doesn’t pass this step. If a
No harm in that, it’s an excellent pit doesn’t pass then time to apply some other FFS techniques
Recommended Practice and allows (coming soon in our fact sheets!)
a relatively practical assessment for
wall loss. Did you know there is an Corrosion
even quicker and easier assessment Allowance
you can use first?
Code
In Section 7 of API 510, the In- Required 50% Thickness
required
service Inspection Code for the Thickness
Inspection, Rating, Repair and
Alteration for Pressure Vessels, you Pass Fail
will find some helpful assessments
to make FFS decisions during the
inspection, without the need for
follow up calculations after the 2- Total sum of the area that is deeper than the corrosion allowance
inspection. must not exceed 7 in.2 within any 8-in. diameter circle. Top Tip-
Carry a marker pen tied to 4-in. piece of string, centralise the
It goes without saying, engineering loose end in the area of pitting and draw a circle with the string
judgement must always be applied, pulled tight, an easy way to mark out the 8-in. limit. Box of the
and consideration given to where pitting into squares, rectangles and circles as best you can to sum
these areas of pitting are occurring. the area.
For example, if the equipment is
subject to induced vibration or cyclic
loading, consideration should be Pit Length Breadth Total
1
No. In. In. Area
given to pits and local areas of wall
In.2
loss acting as stress concentrators
3
for fatigue cracking. 2
8In. 1 1 o.5 0.5
Dia.
You should also consider future wall 2 1 1 1
loss between the time of
3 3 1 3
assessment and the next inspection.
Is the corrosion rate high enough Total 4.5
that although these areas of loss
pass the API 510 criteria now, will Pass
they still meet this criteria prior to
next inspection date based on the 3- Total sum of the length of pits that are deeper than the corrosion
current or future corrosion rate? allowance must not exceed 2-in. along any 8-in. line.

Want to know more? Wilkinson

Coutts Engineering Training Ltd 8 in.
deliver training in API ICP
examinations for Pressure Vessels,
Process Pipework, Storage Tanks,
Risked Based Inspection and 1 in. 0.5 in. 1 in.
Damage Mechanisms. Contact us
for more information on our Sum of lengths greater than 2-in. over 8-in. line Fail
inspector fact sheets.

info@Wilkinsoncoutts.com www.wilkinsoncoutts.com