Virginia Administrative Code › Title 16 - LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT › Agency 25 - SAFETY AND HEALTH CODES BOARD › Chapter 50 - BOILER AND PRESSURE VESSEL REGULATIONS › Part II - Administration › Section 16VAC25-50-20 - Minimum construction standards for boilers and pressure vessels

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 24, July 15, 2024
A. Boilers and
				  pressure vessels to be installed for operation in this Commonwealth shall be
				  designed, constructed, inspected, stamped and installed in accordance with the
				  applicable ASME Code including all addenda and applicable code cases, other
				  international construction standards which are acceptable to the chief
				  inspector, and this chapter.
B.
				  Boilers and pressure vessels shall bear the National Board stamping, except
				  cast iron boilers and UM vessels. A copy of the Manufacturers' Data Report,
				  signed by the manufacturer's representative and the National Board commissioned
				  inspector, shall be filed by the owner or user with the chief inspector prior
				  to its operation in the Commonwealth.
C. Pressure piping -- (including welded
				  piping) -- Piping external to power boilers extending from the boiler to the
				  first stop valve of a single boiler and to the second stop valve in a battery
				  of two or more boilers is subject to the requirements of the current edition of
				  the ASME Code, Section I and the design, fabrication, installation and testing
				  of the valves and piping shall be in conformity with the applicable paragraphs
				  of the current edition of the ASME Code, Section I. Applicable ASME data report
				  forms for this piping shall be furnished by the owner to the chief inspector.
				  Construction rules for materials, design, fabrication, installation and testing
				  both for the boiler external piping and the power piping beyond the valve or
				  valves required by the current edition of the ASME Code, Section I are
				  referenced in ASME B31.1, Power piping, and the ASME Code.
D. Boilers and pressure vessels brought into
				  the Commonwealth and not meeting ASME Code requirements shall not be operated
				  unless the owner or user is granted a variance in accordance with §
										40.1-51.19 of the Act.
The request for variance shall include all documentation
					 related to the boiler or pressure vessel that will provide evidence of
					 equivalent fabrication standards, i.e., design specification, calculations,
					 material specifications, detailed construction drawings, fabrication and
					 inspection procedures and qualification records, examination, inspection and
					 test records, and any available manufacturers' data report.
In order to facilitate such a variance approval, the
					 submission of documentation, in the English language and in current U.S.
					 standard units of measure would be helpful. The following list of documents,
					 while not all inclusive, would be useful in providing evidence of safety
					 equivalent to ASME Code construction:
1. List of materials used for each pressure
				  part;
2. The design calculations to
				  determine the maximum allowable working pressure in accordance with the ASME
				  Code, applicable section, edition and addenda;
3. The design code used and the source of
				  stress values for the materials used in the design calculations;
4. The welding procedures used and the
				  qualification records for each procedure;
5. The material identification for each type
				  of welding material used;
6. The
				  performance qualification records for each welder or welding operator used in
				  the construction of the boiler or pressure vessel;
7. The extent of any nondestructive
				  examination (NDE) performed and the qualification records of NDE
				  operators;
8. Record of final
				  pressure test signed by a third party inspector;
9. Name and organization of the third party
				  inspection agency;
10. A
				  certification from a licensed professional engineer stating that the boiler or
				  pressure vessel has been constructed to a standard providing equivalent safety
				  to that of the ASME Code. A signature, date and seal of the certifying engineer
				  are required;
11. Where applicable,
				  a matrix of differences between the actual construction of the boiler or
				  pressure vessel for which a variance is requested and a similar boiler or
				  pressure vessel that is ASME Code stamped; and
12. Where applicable, a letter from an
				  insurance company stating that it will insure the boiler or pressure vessel.
After notification of a violation of this chapter, an owner
					 or user desiring a variance shall submit a request for variance within 30
					 days.
The chief inspector shall respond to any request for a
					 variance within 30 days of receipt of all required documentation and shall
					 submit a recommendation to the commissioner, who will make the decision on the
					 variance.