CODES and STANDARDS

For Piping Systems proper selection of of Material of Construction

alongwith Specifications, Adherence to Codes and Standards is essential.
Standardization reduces cost, confusion and inconvenience. Standards are
published by Professional Societies, Committees and Trade Organizations. It is
also accepted by Governments. The main objective is to have Standardization
and Safety.

Codes & Standards both provide criteria through which pressure integrity 1
can be ensured and simplified design rules to ensure adherence to the criteria.
Many designers & engineers think that the terms code & standard are
synonymous, or at least somewhat interchangeable, but this understanding
is incorrect.

Codes:

Codes are the documents, which establish good design practices

including factor of safety and efficiency. Codes usually set forth requirements for
design, materials, fabrication, erection, test, and inspection of piping systems,
documents are termed codes when they cover a broad area, having
governmental acceptance, and can form a basis for legal obligations.

Or

A group of general rules or systematic procedures for Design, Fabrication,

Installation and Inspection methods prepared in such a manner that it can be
adopted by legal jurisdiction and made into a law.

Or

Piping codes provide specific design criteria such as permissible materials

of construction, allowable working stresses, and load sets that must be
considered in design. In addition rules are provided to determine the minimum
wall thickness and structural behavior due to the effects of internal pressure,
dead weight, seismic loads, live loads, thermal expansion, and other imposed
internal and external loads. Piping codes provide design rules for nonstandard
components and for the reinforcement of openings in the pipe wall. They do not
provide design rules for standard in-line components, such as valves, flanges &
standard fittings; rather, they define the design requirements for these classes of
components by reference to industry standards.

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 The use of specific codes for the design and construction of piping
systems is frequently mandated by statute or regulations imposed by regulatory
and enforcement agencies.
Typically codes are structured around technology or industry user lines.
For example, ASME B31.1, Power piping, covers piping system in power plants,
district distribution piping systems, and general industrial piping systems while
ASME B31.3, Process Piping, is structured around the chemical, petroleum and
petrochemical industries.

Any one of the above named industrial following a steam main serving a
petrochemical plant from a major utility’s district heating system would be
designed and constructed to ASME B31.1, up to the petrochemical plant property
line. The balance of the piping on the petrochemical plant’s property would be
designed and to ASME B31.3.

Standards:

Standards are documents, which establish methods of manufacturing and

testing. Standards contain design and construction rules and requirements for
individual piping components such as elbows, tee, return, flanges and other in
line items.

Or

Documents prepared by a Professional group or Committee which are

believed to be good and proper Engineering Practices and which contain
mandatory requirement.

Or

Standards provide specific design criteria and rules for individual

components or classes of components such as valves, flanges, and fittings.

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