Section 20. Minimum construction standards for boilers and pressure vessels

Part II. Administration

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 Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code including all addenda and applicable code case(s), 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 ASME Power Boiler Code, Section I, and the design, fabrication, installation and testing of the valves and piping shall be in conformity with the applicable paragraphs of ASME Code. 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 ASME Power Boiler Code, Section I, are referenced in ANSI B31.1, Power piping, and the code.

D. Boilers and pressure vessels brought into the Commonwealth and not meeting code requirements shall not be operated unless the owner/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 Boiler and Pressure Vessel 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 Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. A signature, date and seal of the certifying engineer is 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 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 these rules and regulations, an owner/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.

E. Before secondhand equipment is installed, application for permission to install shall be filed by the owner or user with the chief inspector and approval obtained.

F. Electric boilers, subject to the requirements of the Act and this chapter, shall bear the Underwriters' Laboratories label on the completed unit or assembly by the manufacturer. This label shall be in addition to the code symbol stamping requirements of the ASME and the National Board.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR425-01-75 § 2.1, eff. July 1, 1974; amended, eff. November 1, 1978; July 1, 1991; September 1, 1993; Volume 15, Issue 05, eff. January 1, 1999; Volume 19, Issue 19, eff. July 2, 2003.

Statutory Authority

§ 40.1-51.6 of the Code of Virginia.