Fitness-for-Service (FFS) of Process Plant Equipment, Pressure Vessels, Piping and Storage Facilities (API 579-1/ASME FFS-1)

Introduction

This course clarifies the Fitness-for-Service concepts and technologies and provides training on the application of API 579-1/ASME FFS-1, a standard jointly published by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the American Society for Mechanical Engineers (ASME) that covers a wide range of flaw types and damage mechanisms. It is intended to supplement and augment the requirements in API 510, API 570 and API 653 to ensure the safety and reliability of plant equipment.

The general road map and procedures for flaw evaluation, acceptance criteria, calculation of remaining life, and the three levels of evaluation will be explained. Level 1 procedure for evaluation of the various flaws covered in Parts 3 through 13 are explained and demonstrated by worked example problems. Additionally, Level 2 procedures are discussed and some level 2 worked example problems are demonstrated. An introduction to level 3 analysis methods and acceptance criteria is covered. Stresses of various categories and failure modes associated with each are explained. Basic design of pressure vessels, piping and storage tanks including the relevant Code design formulas for calculating required thickness are presented and demonstrated by worked examples problems.

This training course emphasizes that any FFS assessment must not conflict with Code and regulatory requirements and ensures that basic engineering principles are adhered to and the intent of the reference publication is understood and followed.

Objectives

You will learn:

• Fundamental principles of fitness-for-service, their practical application through presentations, worked examples, case studies, and a step-by-step evaluation process for each type of degradation mechanism
• Fundamental principles of component integrity, application of the ASME code rules, material properties of strength and toughness, and the introduction to stress and fracture mechanics
• A review of degradation mechanisms and the application of API 579 to brittle fracture, general metal loss, local wall thinning, pitting, blisters and laminations, mechanical defects (dents, gouges, misalignment, and distortion), crack-like flaws (stress corrosion cracking, weld flaws, crack-like defects), fatigue, HIC and SOHIC, and fire damage

Training Methodology

This is an interactive course. There will be open question and answer sessions, regular group exercises and activities, videos, case studies and presentations on best practice and the fundamentals of shutdown and turnaround management. Participants will have the opportunity to share with the facilitator and other participants on what works well and not so well for them, as well as work on issues from their own organizations.

Who Should Attend?

This course for:-

• Integrity assessment engineers
• Operations engineers
• Maintenance engineers
• Maintenance supervisors
• Facility integrity supervisors
• Corrosion engineers
• Corrosion specialists
• Site inspection engineers
• Piping engineers
• Mechanical engineers
• Plant managers
• Plant engineers
• Project engineers
• Engineers who are responsible for maintaining the integrity of process plant equipment and piping

Course Outline

Day 1: Fitness-For-Service Technology 

• Overview of API 579 Contents, Objectives and Applications

• How to apply API 579 for cost-effective run-or-repair decisions

• Fitness-for-Service Assessment procedure

• An overview of what is new in the latest release

• FFS Assessment Methodology and Procedure

• Structure of the Standard - Road map for Parts 3 through 13 of the FFS Standard

• The FFS eight-step procedure

• Examples of the major parts

Day 2: Inspection and Fitness-For-Service

• The real function of inspection

• Inspection reliability and effectiveness

• Nondestructive testing techniques - PT, VT, MT, ET, UT, RT, AE

• Fundamentals of Design and Construction of Pressure Vessels, Storage Tanks and Piping

• Annex A - Thickness, MAWP and stress equations for a FFS assessment

• Fitness-for-Service and Remaining Life (cont’d) Brittle Fracture and Cryogenic Service

• Assessment of General Wall Thinning

• Assessment of Local Thin Areas and B31G for Pipelines

• Assessment of Pitting Corrosion

• Fabrication Defects and in-Service Degradation of Pressure Equipment and Piping

• Annex G - Damage Mechanisms

Day 3: FFS Assessment of Brittle Fracture and Metal Loss 

• Assessment of Existing Equipment for Brittle Fracture

• Overview of brittle fracture

• Data requirements

• Assessment techniques

• Acceptance criteria

• Worked examples

• Overview of Corrosion, Erosion, and Pitting

• Assessment of General Metal Loss

• Data requirements

• Assessment techniques

• Acceptance criteria

• Worked examples

• Assessment of Local Metal Loss

• Data requirements

• Assessment techniques

• Acceptance criteria

• Worked examples Assessment techniques laminations-Distortion-cracks

Day 4: Assessment of Pitting Corrosion 

• Data requirements

• Assessment techniques

• Acceptance criteria

• Worked example

• Fitness For Service Assessment of Corroded Pipelines

• ASME B31G

• RSTRENG

• KAPA

• Worked Example - Blisters, Local and Mechanical Damage

• Assessment of Hydrogen Blisters and Hydrogen Damage Associated With HIC and SOHIC

• Data requirements

• Assessment techniques

• Acceptance criteria

• Worked examples Assessment techniques creep-fire damage-fatigue

Day 5: Assessment of Weld Misalignment and Shell Distortions 

• Data requirements

• Assessment techniques

• Acceptance criteria

• Worked example

• Introduction to Fracture Mechanics

• Assessment of Crack-Like Flaws

• Data requirements

• Assessment techniques

• Acceptance criteria

• Worked examples

• Creep, Fire and Mechanical Damage

• Assessment of Components Operating in the Creep Range

• Data requirements

• Assessment techniques

• Acceptance criteria

• Worked example

• Assessment of Fire Damage

• Data requirements

• Assessment techniques

• Acceptance criteria

• Case study

• Assessment of Dents, Gouges, and Dent-Gouge Combinations

• Data requirements

• Assessment techniques

• Acceptance criteria

• Worked example

• Assessment of Laminations

• Data requirements

• Assessment techniques

• Acceptance criteria

• Worked example Repair methodologies

• Repair Techniques

  • New Developments in Repair Standards 

  • Permanent and Temporary Repairs

  • Overview of All Repair Techniques 

  • Selection of the Right Repair

  • Contents and Structure of the Repair Plan

  • Welding on In-Service Equipment

  • Welded Repairs

  • Non-Welded Repairs