BABC Business Member the British Standards Institute has introduced a new standard for ‘fusion welded pressure vessels’.

PD 5500:2012 covers vessels manufactured from carbon, ferritic alloy and austenitic steels, aluminium, copper and nickel. PD 5500 applies to equipment designed to BS 5500 or PD 5500, in use outside of the EU or manufactured under the Pressure Equipment Directive. The specification will be updated every three years.

How does it work?

The PD 5500:2012 specification refers to pressure vessels connected to piping by bolts, screws or welding, as well as supports, brackets and other direct attachments. It applies to vessels that are subject to electrical heating or heated process streams, but not vessels exposed to direct heat or flame. The specification can be used with equipment and systems designed or manufactured to BS 5500 or PD 5500. And the 2012 specification is also relevant to pressure vessels in use outside of the EU as well as those designed and manufactured under the Pressure Equipment Directive.

What’s new?

PD 5500:2012 outlines the latest amendments to the specification up to and including those published in September 2011. It also includes details of enquiry cases and will be updated every three years. Your PD 5500 subscription includes free updates on further amendments. The start of the new three-year cycle will include updates and new enquiry cases. The three-year subscription to PD 5500 includes free regular updates as amendments are made to the specification.

Key 2012 revisions include:

• Clarification of the use of subcontractors

• Tubesheet minimum thickness requirements for large tube diameters

• Clarification of the requirements for static head in the evaluation of test pressure

• Revisions to the impact testing requirements of Annex D

• Inclusion of a new enquiry case 5500/139 for the ISO 16528-2:2007 Conformance Tables.

Key features

• Start of new 3 year cycle

• Specifies requirements for design, manufacture, inspection, testing and verification

• Can provide a basis for vessel design and manufacture for PED compliance

• Contains all amendments, annexes and enquiry cases made during last three years

• Supersedes PD 5500:2009 which is now withdrawn.

 

You may also be interested in… ISO and IEC standards available at up to 50% off for BABC members. Please contact Craig Wells at
craig.wells@bsigroup.com or 571-442-2923