49 C.F.R. Subpart E—Welding of Steel in Pipelines
Title 49 - Transportation
(a) This subpart prescribes minimum requirements for welding steel materials in pipelines. (b) This subpart does not apply to welding that occurs during the manufacture of steel pipe or steel pipeline components. (a) Welding must be performed by a qualified welder in accordance with welding procedures qualified under section 5 of API 1104 (ibr, see §192.7) or section IX of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code “ Welding and Brazing Qualifications” (ibr, see §192.7) to produce welds meeting the requirements of this subpart. The quality of the test welds used to qualify welding procedures shall be determined by destructive testing in accordance with the applicable welding standard(s). (b) Each welding procedure must be recorded in detail, including the results of the qualifying tests. This record must be retained and followed whenever the procedure is used. [Amdt. 192–52, 51 FR 20297, June 4, 1986; Amdt. 192–94, 69 FR 32894, June 14, 2004] (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, each welder must be qualified in accordance with section 6 of API 1104 (ibr, see §192.7) or section IX of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (ibr, see §192.7) . However, a welder qualified under an earlier edition than listed in appendix A of this part may weld but may not requalify under that earlier edition. (b) A welder may qualify to perform welding on pipe to be operated at a pressure that produces a hoop stress of less than 20 percent of SMYS by performing an acceptable test weld, for the process to be used, under the test set forth in section I of Appendix C of this part. Each welder who is to make a welded service line connection to a main must first perform an acceptable test weld under section II of Appendix C of this part as a requirement of the qualifying test. [35 FR 13257, Aug. 19, 1970, as amended by Amdt. 192–43, 47 FR 46851, Oct. 21, 1982; Amdt. 192–52, 51 FR 20297, June 4, 1986; Amdt. 192–78, 61 FR 28784, June 6, 1996; Amdt. 192–94, 69 FR 32894, June 14, 2004] (a) No welder whose qualification is based on nondestructive testing may weld compressor station pipe and components. (b) No welder may weld with a particular welding process unless, within the preceding 6 calendar months, he has engaged in welding with that process. (c) A welder qualified under §192.227(a)— (1) May not weld on pipe to be operated at a pressure that produces a hoop stress of 20 percent or more of SMYS unless within the preceding 6 calendar months the welder has had one weld tested and found acceptable under the sections 6 or 9 of API Standard 1104 (ibr, see §192.7). Alternatively, welders may maintain an ongoing qualification status by performing welds tested and found acceptable under the above acceptance criteria at least twice each calendar year, but at intervals not exceeding 7 (2) May not weld on pipe to be operated at a pressure that produces a hoop stress of less than 20 percent of SMYS unless the welder is tested in accordance with paragraph (c)(1) of this section or requalifies under paragraph (d)(1) or (d)(2) of this section. (d) A welder qualified under §192.227(b) may not weld unless— (1) Within the preceding 15 calendar months, but at least once each calendar year, the welder has requalified under §192.227(b); or (2) Within the preceding 7 (i) A production weld cut out, tested, and found acceptable in accordance with the qualifying test; or (ii) For welders who work only on service lines 2 inches (51 millimeters) or smaller in diameter, two sample welds tested and found acceptable in accordance with the test in section III of Appendix C of this part. [35 FR 13257, Aug. 19, 1970, as amended by Amdt. 192–37, 46 FR 10159, Feb. 2, 1981; Amdt. 192–78, 61 FR 28784, June 6, 1996; Amdt. 192–85, 63 FR 37503, July 13, 1998; Amdt. 192–94, 69 FR 32895, June 14, 2004] The welding operation must be protected from weather conditions that would impair the quality of the completed weld. (a) A miter joint on steel pipe to be operated at a pressure that produces a hoop stress of 30 percent or more of SMYS may not deflect the pipe more than 3°. (b) A miter joint on steel pipe to be operated at a pressure that produces a hoop stress of less than 30 percent, but more than 10 percent, of SMYS may not deflect the pipe more than 12 (c) A miter joint on steel pipe to be operated at a pressure that produces a hoop stress of 10 percent or less of SMYS may not deflect the pipe more than 90°. Before beginning any welding, the welding surfaces must be clean and free of any material that may be detrimental to the weld, and the pipe or component must be aligned to provide the most favorable condition for depositing the root bead. This alignment must be preserved while the root bead is being deposited. (a) Visual inspection of welding must be conducted by an individual qualified by appropriate training and experience to ensure that: (1) The welding is performed in accordance with the welding procedure; and (2) The weld is acceptable under paragraph (c) of this section. (b) The welds on a pipeline to be operated at a pressure that produces a hoop stress of 20 percent or more of SMYS must be nondestructively tested in accordance with §192.243, except that welds that are visually inspected and approved by a qualified welding inspector need not be nondestructively tested if: (1) The pipe has a nominal diameter of less than 6 inches (152 millimeters); or (2) The pipeline is to be operated at a pressure that produces a hoop stress of less than 40 percent of SMYS and the welds are so limited in number that nondestructive testing is impractical. (c) The acceptability of a weld that is nondestructively tested or visually inspected is determined according to the standards in Section 9 of API Standard 1104 (ibr, see §192.7). However, if a girth weld is unacceptable under those standards for a reason other than a crack, and if Appendix A to API 1104 applies to the weld, the acceptability of the weld may be further determined under that appendix. [35 FR 13257, Aug. 19, 1970, as amended by Amdt. 192–37, 46 FR 10160, Feb. 2, 1981; Amdt. 192–78, 61 FR 28784, June 6, 1996; Amdt. 192–85, 63 FR 37503, July 13, 1998; Amdt. 192–94, 69 FR 32894, June 14, 2004] (a) Nondestructive testing of welds must be performed by any process, other than trepanning, that will clearly indicate defects that may affect the integrity of the weld. (b) Nondestructive testing of welds must be performed: (1) In accordance with written procedures; and (2) By persons who have been trained and qualified in the established procedures and with the equipment employed in testing. (c) Procedures must be established for the proper interpretation of each nondestructive test of a weld to ensure the acceptability of the weld under §192.241(c). (d) When nondestructive testing is required under §192.241(b), the following percentages of each day's field butt welds, selected at random by the operator, must be nondestructively tested over their entire circumference: (1) In Class 1 locations, except offshore, at least 10 percent. (2) In Class 2 locations, at least 15 percent. (3) In Class 3 and Class 4 locations, at crossings of major or navigable rivers, offshore, and within railroad or public highway rights-of-way, including tunnels, bridges, and overhead road crossings, 100 percent unless impracticable, in which case at least 90 percent. Nondestructive testing must be impracticable for each girth weld not tested. (4) At pipeline tie-ins, including tie-ins of replacement sections, 100 percent. (e) Except for a welder whose work is isolated from the principal welding activity, a sample of each welder's work for each day must be nondestructively tested, when nondestructive testing is required under §192.241(b). (f) When nondestructive testing is required under §192.241(b), each operator must retain, for the life of the pipeline, a record showing by milepost, engineering station, or by geographic feature, the number of girth welds made, the number nondestructively tested, the number rejected, and the disposition of the rejects. [35 FR 13257, Aug. 19, 1970, as amended by Amdt. 192–27, 41 FR 34606, Aug. 16, 1976; Amdt. 192–50, 50 FR 37192, Sept. 12, 1985; Amdt. 192–78, 61 FR 28784, June 6, 1996] (a) Each weld that is unacceptable under §192.241(c) must be removed or repaired. Except for welds on an offshore pipeline being installed from a pipeline vessel, a weld must be removed if it has a crack that is more than 8 percent of the weld length. (b) Each weld that is repaired must have the defect removed down to sound metal and the segment to be repaired must be preheated if conditions exist which would adversely affect the quality of the weld repair. After repair, the segment of the weld that was repaired must be inspected to ensure its acceptability. (c) Repair of a crack, or of any defect in a previously repaired area must be in accordance with written weld repair procedures that have been qualified under §192.225. Repair procedures must provide that the minimum mechanical properties specified for the welding procedure used to make the original weld are met upon completion of the final weld repair. [Amdt. 192–46, 48 FR 48674, Oct. 20, 1983]
Title 49: Transportation
PART 192—TRANSPORTATION OF NATURAL AND OTHER GAS BY PIPELINE: MINIMUM FEDERAL SAFETY STANDARDS
Subpart E—Welding of Steel in Pipelines
§ 192.221 Scope.
§ 192.225 Welding procedures.
§ 192.227 Qualification of welders.
§ 192.229 Limitations on welders.
§ 192.231 Protection from weather.
§ 192.233 Miter joints.
§ 192.235 Preparation for welding.
§ 192.241 Inspection and test of welds.
§ 192.243 Nondestructive testing.
§ 192.245 Repair or removal of defects.
