ASME B31.

3 Process Piping Course

17. High Pressure Piping

ASME B31.3 Process Piping

Charles Becht IV, PhD, PE
Don Frikken, PE
Instructors
BECHT ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC.

High Pressure Piping -

Piping Development Process

1. Establish applicable system standard(s)
2. Establish design conditions
3. Make overall piping material decisions

Pressure Class
Reliability
Materials of construction

4. Fine tune piping material decisions

Materials
Determine wall thicknesses
Valves

5. Establish preliminary piping system layout & support

configuration
6. Perform flexibility analysis
7. Finalize layout and bill of materials
8. Fabricate and install
9. Examine and test

BECHT ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC.

High Pressure Piping -

ASME B31.3 Process Piping Course

17. High Pressure Piping

17. High Pressure Piping

General
Materials
Pressure Design
Limitations
Fabrication
Examination
Testing
(Autoclave Engineers)

BECHT ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC.

High Pressure Piping -

The Material in This Section is

Addressed by B31.3 in:
Chapter IX - High Pressure Piping
Appendix K - Allowable Stresses for High
Pressure Piping

BECHT ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC.

High Pressure Piping -

ASME B31.3 Process Piping Course

17. High Pressure Piping

General
High Pressure: A service for which the
owner specifies the use of Chapter IX [of
B31.3] for piping design and construction
considered to be in excess of Class 2500
(6000 psi, 42 MPa).
There are no specified pressure
limitations for application of these rules.
[K300(a)]

BECHT ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC.

High Pressure Piping -

General
Most applications are in the range of
20,000 psi (150 MPa) and higher
Nonmetallic piping is excluded
No provisions are made for Category M
fluid service
The temperature is required to be below
the creep range
Allowances for variations in pressure and
temperature are not permitted
BECHT ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC.

High Pressure Piping -

ASME B31.3 Process Piping Course

17. High Pressure Piping

Materials
Allowable stress for materials other than bolting
2/3 of specified minimum yield strength (SY)
2/3 of yield strength at temperature; except for
austenitic stainless steels and nickel alloys with
similar behavior, 90% of yield strength at
temperature
Material

Base
Code
(ksi)

High
Pressure
(ksi)

Base
Code
(MPa)

High
Pressure
(MPa)

A106 Gr B

20.0

23.3

138

161

API 5L
X80

30.0

53.3

207

368

BECHT ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC.

High Pressure Piping -

Materials
Castings and welded components are required
to be such that the quality factors are equal to
1.0
Conformance of materials to the product
analysis chemical requirements of the
applicable specification shall be verified.
Cast irons are not permitted
Zinc coated materials are not permitted, nor are
zinc coated materials permitted to be welded to
pressure containing components
BECHT ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC.

High Pressure Piping -

ASME B31.3 Process Piping Course

17. High Pressure Piping

Materials
Impact Test Requirements
Impact testing is required for all materials from which a
suitable test specimen can be machined
The impact test temperature
shall be no higher than the
lowest temperature at which
the piping is subjected to a
stress greater than 6 ksi (41
MPa)lower if subsize
specimens are required
Minimum acceptable impact
values are higher than for the
base code

BECHT ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC.

High Pressure Piping -

Pressure Design Straight Pipe

t = (D/2) [1 - exp(-1.155P/S)]
Where:
t=

pressure design
thickness

D = outside diameter
of pipe
P = design pressure
S = stress value for
material from
Appendix K

BECHT ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC.

(Autoclave Engineers)

High Pressure Piping -

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ASME B31.3 Process Piping Course

17. High Pressure Piping

Pressure Design Straight Pipe

The equation is based on through thickness
yielding pressure as a basis for design
The equation provides a factor of two on
through thickness yielding

BECHT ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC.

High Pressure Piping -

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Pressure Design Straight Pipe

0.50

Thickness (in)

0.40
Base Code,
A106 Gr B

0.30

High Pressure,
A106 Gr B

0.20

Base Code,
API 5L X80

0.10

High Pressure,
API 5L X80

0.00
0

20000

40000

60000

80000

Pressure (psi)

(1 in. OD tubing)

BECHT ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC.

High Pressure Piping -

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ASME B31.3 Process Piping Course

17. High Pressure Piping

Pressure Design Straight Pipe

Thickness (mm)

12
10

Base Code,
A106 Gr B

High Pressure,
A106 Gr B

6
4

Base Code,
API 5L X80

High Pressure,
API 5L X80

0
0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

Pressure (bar)
(25 mm OD tubing)

BECHT ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC.

High Pressure Piping -

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Pressure Design
Thread depth need not be subtracted from the pipe
wall thickness when
Thread depth does not
exceed 20% of the wall
thickness
D/d is greater than 1.1
The internally threaded
attachment provides
adequate reinforcement
The thread undercut area
does not extend beyond
the reinforcement by a
distance greater than the
pipe wall thickness

BECHT ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC.

(Autoclave Engineers)
High Pressure Piping -

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ASME B31.3 Process Piping Course

17. High Pressure Piping

Pressure Design [K304.7.2]

Components for which there are no specific
rules require:
Calculations consistent with the design
philosophy of Chapter IX, and
Substantiation of the calculations by
Extensive successful experience
Performance testing, or
Finite element stress analysis

Interpolation between sizes & thicknesses

allowed
BECHT ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC.

High Pressure Piping -

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Pressure Design
Fatigue Analysis
Fatigue analysis in accordance with ASME
B&PV Code, Section VIII, Div. 2 is required
Pressure is the primary load, but alternating
sustained loads and displacement loads must
also be included
High stresses at the inner surface of the pipe
wall and stress concentrations must be
considered
An inelastic analysis is required if the stress on
the inside surface of the pipe exceeds three
times the allowable stress (twice yield)
BECHT ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC.

High Pressure Piping -

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ASME B31.3 Process Piping Course

17. High Pressure Piping

Pressure Design
Fatigue Analysis
Fatigue life may be demonstrated by
destructive testing when the owner approves
Fatigue life beyond that calculated via the
Section VIII, Div. 2 method may be applied
when
surface treatments or
prestressing methods

are used, and the component is qualified by

extensive successful service or
performance testing

in accordance with K304.7.2

BECHT ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC.

High Pressure Piping -

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High Pressure Piping -

18

Limitations
Not permitted

Miter bends
Fabricated branches
Corrugated and creased bends
Laps other than forged
Slip-on flanges

BECHT ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC.

ASME B31.3 Process Piping Course

17. High Pressure Piping

Limitations
Joints Not permitted
Ordinary threaded, except for instrumentation
up to NPS
Socket welding
Expanded
Solder
Compression and flared tubing
Caulked
Bell type
Adhesive
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High Pressure Piping -

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Fabrication
Welder qualification is like for the base
Code, except
Impact tests are required for all procedure
and performance qualifications
More testing is required for weld procedure
and performance qualifications
Performance and procedure qualification by
others is not permitted

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High Pressure Piping -

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ASME B31.3 Process Piping Course

17. High Pressure Piping

Fabrication
Seal welds are not permitted
Welded branch construction must provide
for 100% interpretable radiographic
examination

BECHT ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC.

High Pressure Piping -

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Examination Requirements - VT
Metallic Piping
Materials &
components

Normal
Random to extent
needed to satisfy
the examiner

High Pressure
100%

Fabrication, including 5% Random

welds

100%

Longitudinal welds

100%

100%

Bolted, threaded &

other joints

Random to extent
needed, except
100% for pneumatic
test

100%, threads to be
examined for finish and fit,
and compliance with
applicable standard

Supports, alignment,
erected piping

Random

100%

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High Pressure Piping -

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ASME B31.3 Process Piping Course

17. High Pressure Piping

Examination Requirements - Other

Metallic Piping
Circumferential
groove welds

Normal
5% Random RT or UT

High Pressure
100% RT

Longitudinal welds

100% RT

Branch connection
welds

100% RT

Neither ultrasonic examination nor in-process

examination may be substituted for radiographic
examination.
Acceptance criteria are more stringent than the base
Code

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High Pressure Piping -

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Testing
A hydrostatic or a pneumatic test at 1.5 times
the design pressure corrected for temperature
is required
Protection of people and property from missile
fragments, shock waves and other
consequences of failure must be provided
A leak test of the installed piping at 1.1 times
the design pressure is required unless the main
leak test was done on the installed piping
For all welded systems, the closing weld may
be tested at 1.1 times the design pressure
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High Pressure Piping -

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