SAES-W-011 PDF – Welding Requirements for On-Plot Piping

This article is about SAES-W-011 which is about Welding Requirements for On-Plot Piping and download SAES-W-011 PDF for Welding and piping engineers, supervisors and project managers, Welding QCs, QC Supervisors. This is saudi aramco standard of Welding Engineering based on international codes and standards and useful for piping and welding engineering knowledge to get job as engineers, QC Supervisors and QC managers, Engineering managers and technicians.

SAES-W-011 PDF Download

SAES-W-011

Welding Requirements for On-Plot Piping [SAES-W-011]

This standard outlines the welding, heat treatment, Nondestructive Testing (NDT), and hardness testing requirements for the fabrication, installation, repair, or modification of piping to ASME B31.3. These requirements complement the existing requirements specified in ASME B31.3 and ASME SEC IX.

In addition to the standards mentioned above, specific projects may have additional requirements outlined in Scopes of Work, Drawings, or other Instructions or Specifications. Whenever the term “Consulting Services Department (CSD)” is mentioned, it refers to the CSD Welding Specialist or a designated representative. The term “approval” should be understood as written approval.

General Requirements

According to this standard, AWS A2.4 “Standard Welding Symbols” should be utilized for depicting welding details on all drawings. Additionally, AWS A3.0 “Standard Terms and Definitions” must be employed for all specifications and documents.

It is important to note that these requirements are applicable to all subcontractors or sub-vendors involved in tasks falling under the scope of this standard. Compliance with these standards is necessary for maintaining consistency and clarity in welding symbols, as well as ensuring a common understanding of terms and definitions across specifications and documents.

Approved Welding Processes

The approved welding processes outlined in this standard are as follows:

5.1 Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)
5.2 Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW)

• GTAW shall use a high frequency start and post-purge gas flow for the torch, except for specific base materials.
• Filler metal must always be added, and autogenous welding is not permitted unless approved by CSD.
• GTAW shall be used for all passes in piping butt welds and set-in fittings less than 25.4 mm nominal pipe size (NPS).
• GTAW shall be used for the root pass of butt welds without backing in piping and set-in fittings of 50.8 mm nominal pipe size or less, except for vent and drain piping open to the atmosphere or Category D piping.
• GTAW shall be used for the root pass of single-sided groove welds without backing made with stainless steel or nickel-based consumables.
• The use of flux-cored GTAW wires for the root pass of single-sided groove welds of P-No. 8 or higher materials with or without backing gas is not permitted unless approved by CSD.

5.3 Submerged Arc Welding (SAW)
5.4 Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) including Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)

• The GMAW short-circuiting (dip) mode is restricted to specific applications, such as structural attachments and tacking.
• The modified short circuit mode of GMAW is limited to root pass welding.
• GMAW and FCAW are not permitted for single-sided tee or corner joints (branch or nozzle welds).
• The FCAW Gas Shielded process is not allowed for the root pass on full penetration, groove joints welded from one side without backing. Self-shielded FCAW requires specific approval from CSD.

Thermit Welding with a copper alloy is permitted for attaching electrical grounding or cathodic protection cables but should not be used on stainless steel materials. Stud Welding is allowed for attaching insulation fasteners and heat conductors.

Other welding processes, such as brazing, Electro-Gas, Electro-slag, Plasma, etc., may be used with the approval of CSD. Depending on the process and application, additional testing may be required. Approval to use other processes should be obtained through the welding procedure review process.

Welding Procedure General Requirements

The general requirements for welding procedures in accordance with this standard are as follows:

7.2.1 All welding procedure specifications (WPSs) and procedure qualification records (PQRs) must comply with the latest edition of ASME SEC IX and the additional requirements of this standard. Procedures that comply with a previous edition of the code but not the current edition are not acceptable. If a procedure is no longer in compliance with the latest code edition, it must be revised, requalified, and resubmitted for CSD approval.

7.2.2 Saudi Aramco reserves the right to monitor any and all phases of the procedure qualification, including the welding of test coupons and mechanical testing, for any new or additional qualification tests that are required. Monitoring may be assigned to an inspection agency.

7.2.3 All information recorded on the PQR, such as amperage, voltage, travel speed, post-weld heat treatment time and temperature, must be actual data measured using calibrated instruments.

7.2.4 For all qualifications:
a) The welding of all qualification test coupons must be monitored by an independent third party or Saudi Aramco Inspection, which includes verification of the accuracy of the recorded parameters.
b) All mechanical tests and examinations for procedure qualification must be performed by an ISO 17025 certified test laboratory. The ISO 17025 document must be submitted along with the welding submittal as a mandatory requirement prior to review and approval.

7.2.5 For all automatic welding and any process with pulsing, the welding procedure must include all applicable equipment and controller parameter settings.

7.3 For special applications as determined by CSD, such as severe corrosion service or high-temperature service, special qualification tests, such as stress corrosion cracking or embrittlement tests, may be specified. These special requirements may be stated in job specifications, purchase orders, contract specifications, etc.

7.4 Procedure Variables
Several essential variables are outlined in this section for procedure qualification. Here are some key points:

• Procedures for API SPEC 5L Grade B through X52 pipes may be qualified on any grade within this range and are considered P-No. 1 Gr. 1 material. Procedures for API SPEC 5L Grade X60 or higher must be qualified for each specific material grade, and qualification on API SPEC 5L grade X60 also qualifies all lower grades.
• Certain materials, such as A707 L3, A707 L5, A350 LF6, and A350 LF787, are considered P-No. 1 and do not require separate qualifications as “unlisted” materials.
• Group 3 or 4 materials within ASME P-No. 1 materials must be qualified separately for each specific material, unless they are used in combination with Group 1 or 2 materials and the strength requirements of Group 1 or 2 materials govern.
• Restrictions may apply to specific GMAW electrodes, SAW fluxes, or FCAW electrodes in terms of brand, type, and maximum size used for the PQR. The WPS and PQR must specify the brand name and type of flux or electrode if such restrictions are imposed.
• Changes in filler metal or deposit chemistry from A-number 1 to A-No. 2 and vice versa are not permitted without approval. Approval must be obtained through the welding procedure review process, and requalification may be required for sour service applications.
• The use of certain weldable primers (e.g., aluminum flake weldable primers like “Bloxide” or “Deoxaluminite”) without requalification of the procedure is allowed, provided the specified maximum coating thickness is not exceeded. The use of other weldable primers or coatings requires specific approval from CSD, and additional qualification or weldability tests may be required.

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