B31.4 vs B31.8-Differences between ASME B31.

4 and
ASME B31.8 (With PDF)
whatispiping.com/differences-between-asme-b31-4-and-asme-b31-8/

What is ASME B31.4?

Developed and maintained by ASME, ASME B31.4 is the design code for pipelines
transporting liquids and slurries between facilities, production, and storage fields,
plants, and terminals, and within terminals and pumping, regulating, and metering
stations associated with liquid pipeline systems.

What is ASME B31.8?

ASME B31.8 is the design code for pipelines for Gas Transmission and Distribution
Piping Systems. This means this code provides design guidelines for piping
transporting products that are predominately gas between sources and terminals,
including compressor, regulating, and metering stations, and gas gathering
pipelines.

Fig. 1: A Typical Pipeline

ASME B31.4 vs ASME B31.8

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So, both the codes, ASME B31.4 and ASME B31.8 are pipeline design codes that
cover the design, fabrication, installation, inspection, and testing of pipeline
facilities. But, ASME B31.4 deals with pipelines transporting liquids and slurries
whereas ASME B31.8 deals with gas transmission and distribution. Now the
question is whether both can be used interchangeably and if not then what are the
differences between ASME B31.8 and ASME B31.4?

The liquid is incompressible while gas can be easily compressed, So the behavior of both
fluids is different under pressure and temperature conditions. Hence, the ASME B31
committee devised two different codes for liquid and gas pipelines.

Refer to the following image (Fig. 2) which lists the expansion stress range results for the
same stress system with the same parameters analyzed in Caesar II-2018.

Fig. 2: Expansion Stress output for the same system based on ASME B31.8 and ASME
B31.4

Results show that the expansion stress ratio for the system is around double (26.5%) for
code ASME B31.8 as compared to ASME 31.4 (13.7%) which means code ASME B31.8
is more stringent from stress analysis consideration.

In this article, we will list some of the major differences between B31.8 and B31.4 in a
tabular format. There may be more that we have missed. Kindly request the readers to list
those in the comments section and We will add them to the table in due course.

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Parameter ASME B31.4
Scope The code ASME B31.4 governs the
design requirements for pipeline
systems that transport liquid or
aqueous slurries of non-hazardous
materials
Exclusions Building services piping, such as
water, air, or steam pressure
vessels, heat exchangers, pumps,
meters, and other such equipment,
including internal piping and
connections for the piping casing,
tubing, or pipe used in oil wells and
wellhead assemblies are not part of
ASME B31.4
Minimum ASME B 31.4 covers pipelines with
Temperature a temperature above -30 Deg C.
Range
Maximum The maximum metal temperature
Temperature limit for ASME B31.4 is 120 Deg C.
Range
Allowable As per ASME B31.4, the allowable
Stress stress is dependent only on the
specified minimum yield strength of
pipe material.
Design The Maximum Value of Design
Factor F Factor F in thickness calculation
following ASME B31.4 is 0.72.
Lower values can be used as
service and location may dictate.
Toughness The toughness requirement criteria
Requirement in B31.4 is comparatively less
Stringent.
Table-1: ASME B31.8 vs ASME B31.4
ASME B31.8
The ASME B31.8 code
governs the design
requirements for pipeline
facilities used for the
transportation of gas
Cryogenic piping systems,
vent piping to operate at
substantially atmospheric
pressures for waste gases of
any kind, piping in oil
refineries or natural gasoline
extraction plants, etc are
excluded from the scope of
ASME B31.8.
The minimum design
temperature as per ASME
B31.8 can be reduced
further subject to the
inclusion of a proper fracture
control program for that
material.
ASME B31.8 covers piping
with metal temperatures up
to 232°C.
The allowable stress in
ASME B31.8 is dependent
on the specified minimum
yield strength and
temperature derating factor
which reduces the allowable
values when the
temperature is more than
120 Deg C.
Depending on the location
class, the value of F in code
ASME B31.8 varies from 0.4
to 0.8
ASME B31.8 provides more
Stringent toughness
requirements.
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