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Articles by refineries. He
Assessment of Dents and Gouges Using API 579 Part 12
By Greg Garic, P.E., Senior Staff Consultant at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the January/February 2025 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. Introduction Level 1 and 2 assessments under Part 12 are pretty simple. They involve checking a few simple calculations relating primarily to the depth of a dent or material toughness of a gouge. Under Level 2, there is also a simple and very useful fatigue calculation for systems in cyclic service.
Proximity Issues in API 579 Assessments
By Greg Garic, P.E., Senior Staff Consultant at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the September/October 2024 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. Introduction In fitness-for-service (FFS) assessments under the API 579 International Standard (API 579), there are many instances when it is necessary to evaluate if a flaw or defect is too close to another flaw or defect or some “feature” of the structure.
Knowing How to Run the Software Isn’t Good Enough
By Greg Garic, P.E., Senior Staff Consultant at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the July/August 2024 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. Introduction I’ve been teaching a short course on API 579 Fitness-for-Service for over 20 years. It’s a 3-day course and goes into some depth. My goal has always been to address several things: Provide an understanding of the structure, organization, and philosophy of the document.
Crack Growth Assessment at Pits
By Greg Garic, P.E., Senior Staff Consultant at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the May/June 2024 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. A Recent Trend I don’t know if it qualifies as a trend, but I’ve certainly noticed something in the last couple of years that didn’t come up at all in the previous 40 years of my career. More often, I’m seeing people perform a detailed stress analysis of individual pits to support subsequent fracture mechanics (FM) cycle-life calculations.
Piping Analysis Software in FFS Assessments
By Greg Garic, P.E., Senior Staff Consultant at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the March/April 2024 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. Overview Piping stress and flexibility analysis are extremely common in a process plant environment. The B31.3 code, Process Piping, directly addresses the design of such piping systems. To simplify this analysis, designers and engineers often use customized piping analysis software.
API 579 Part 8 Assessment of Weld Misalignment and Shell Out-of-Round
By Greg Garic, Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the January/February 2024 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. Introduction Shell imperfections such as bulges, cylinder out-of-round, and weld misalignment can result in high bending stresses when the component is pressurized. If the load is cyclic, fatigue problems can develop. But even under static loading, high bending plus pressure stresses can create a fitness-for-service (FFS) problem.
Miner’s Rule – A Primer on Linear Damage Accumulation
By Greg Garic, Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the November/December 2023 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. What’s the Point? A basic S-N curve will fully define the fatigue life so long as all the load cycles are the same. For example, Figure 1 shows that for an alternating stress of 30-ksi, in this particular material, the fatigue life would be expected to be about 40,000 cycles. If life were only so simple.
Crack-like Flaw Categorization Rules
By Greg Garic, Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the September/October 2023 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. Introduction I’m excited about this FFS Forum article because it’s in response to a reader’s suggestion I received a while back. Reader suggestions and comments are great because they help me identify good column topics, and after 30 articles, I must admit that picking a topic is a little harder than it was in the beginning.
Interview with Lyle Breaux on the New API 579 Part 15 Piping Vibration
By Greg Garic, Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the July/August 2023 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. For 10 years, the API 579 Committee has been steadily working on a procedure to evaluate vibration in piping systems. That long work is about to pay off as the new Part 15, “Assessment of Piping Vibration,” is near completion.
How Bad is Too Bad?
By Greg Garic, Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the March/April 2023 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. 3 Likes July/August 2020 Inspectioneering Journal Assessment procedures in API 579 are organized by damage mechanism. But what happens when different damage mechanisms are in play since the evaluation criteria may not be compatible?
Estimating Fracture Toughness Using the Master Curve Approach
By Greg Garic, Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the January/February 2023 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. 2 Likes May/June 2022 Inspectioneering Journal Part 2 of the three-part series on stress corrosion cracking (SCC) that examines common engineering and FFS methods that can be leveraged to understand and evaluate the propensity for an existing form of SCC to lead to loss of containment.
Using Fracture Mechanics to Determine the MAT
By Greg Garic, Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the November/December 2022 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. 8 Likes November/December 2021 Inspectioneering Journal There are many excellent changes and updates in the new edition of API 579, including significant technical changes and improvements. In this FFS Forum article, I’ll go through many of what I believe to be the most important changes.
An Interview with Ben Hantz, Committee Chair for API 579-1/ASME FFS-1
By Greg Garic, Managing Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the July/August 2022 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. 14 Likes March/April 2017 Inspectioneering Journal Inspectioneering Founder & Chief Editor, Greg Alvarado, recently had the privilege to sit down with Clay White, Director of Mechanical Integrity for Phillips 66 (Downstream), to discuss the world of fixed equipment reliability in the refining and...
How big of a problem are they?
By Greg Garic, Managing Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the May/June 2022 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. 9 Likes November/December 2021 Inspectioneering Journal This issue of Damage Control offers a perspective on how to assess the different forms of wet H2S damage using modern FFS and computational analysis techniques with the safe operation of damaged pressure vessels, piping, and associated components.
Nine Recommendations for Better Fitness-for-Service (FFS) Assessments
By Greg Garic, Managing Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the March/April 2022 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. 16 Likes March/April 2011 Inspectioneering Journal Two technologies, immediately available to plant operators for fixed equipment life-cycle management are Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) and Fitness for Service (FFS), two best practices that optimally work together or can standalone. Both have...
Unraveling Type A, B, and C Components
By Greg Garic, Managing Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the January/February 2022 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. 17 Likes July/August 2020 Inspectioneering Journal Pressure vessel design is crucial in ensuring compliance with safety regulations and facilitating reliability and integrity. This article provides an overview of the ASME Section VIII approach to designing pressure vessels.
Updates to the New and Improved API 579 Standard
By Greg Garic, Managing Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the November/December 2021 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. 30 Likes May/June 2020 Inspectioneering Journal There are many places where brittle fracture risk can sneak into your plant and many reasons why a new or revised brittle fracture assessment may be required when reviewing your pressure systems. Don’t overlook this dangerous failure mechanism.
Tips and Guidance on FFS in the Aftermath of a Process Plant Fire
By Greg Garic, Managing Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the September/October 2021 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. 14 Likes May/June 2018 Inspectioneering Journal HTHA of hydrogen-containing equipment can be prevented with appropriate material selection and fabrication, appropriate welding procedures, regular inspection of equipment using proven, effective technologies and equipment operated by qualified...
Fitness-for-Service FFS Process Plant Fire Damage Assessment
By Greg Garic, Managing Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the July/August 2021 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. 12 Likes March/April 2017 Inspectioneering Journal Myths, challenges, and good practices related to process piping integrity management activities that help inspection and maintenance managers make the right decisions to develop cost-effective piping inspection plans without compromising the...
Understanding Acoustic Emission Testing
By Greg Garic, Managing Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the May/June 2021 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. 7 Likes March/April 2021 Inspectioneering Journal FFS assessments usually originate from inspection results and often end with a recommended inspection plan. This FFS Forum tries to provide a little better understanding of one particular inspection method: Acoustic Emission Testing.
Acoustic Emission Testing – The Least Understood Inspection Technique
By Greg Garic, Managing Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the March/April 2021 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. 6 Likes July/August 2019 Inspectioneering Journal This article is written to provide a brief case study of an acoustic emission test of an FRP storage tank. A method combining acoustic emission with ultrasonics is proposed to ensure reliable long term operation. Blog AE monitoring has been done for HIC affected vessels, with limited success.
Applying Fracture Mechanics to Lower Risk and Improve Reliability
By Greg Garic, Managing Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the January/February 2021 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. July/August 2018 Inspectioneering Journal API 579-1 is a complex document covering several different types of equipment that may contain flaws or damage. Due to its complexity, this article condenses it into six things you need to know.
Failure Assessment Diagram for Evaluating the Crack-Like Flaws
By Greg Garic, Managing Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the November/December 2020 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. September/October 2020 Inspectioneering Journal Fracture mechanics is a branch of engineering that describes the behavior of cracks – how they grow and when they fracture. Fracture of cracks is particularly dangerous because it can happen without warning under normal operating conditions.
Using Fracture Mechanics to Lower Risk and Improve Plant Reliability
By Greg Garic, Managing Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the September/October 2020 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. November/December 2018 Inspectioneering Journal In this edition of the FFS Forum, Greg addresses some issues associated with inspection of vessels that have been in service for a number of decades, and offers some tips for reliability and inspection to follow when inspecting these older vessels.
API 579 Assessments When Dealing with Multiple Damage Mechanisms
By Greg Garic, Managing Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the July/August 2020 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. January/February 2019 Inspectioneering Journal Welding imperfections vary in impact from being acceptable to requiring repair. It is important to ensure the quality of welds using NDT and to ensure the strength of the entire piping system with hydrotesting.
Fitness-For-Service Metal Loss Assessments
By Greg Garic, Managing Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the November/December 2019 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. 29 Likes July/August 2018 Inspectioneering Journal API 579-1 is a complex document covering several different types of equipment that may contain flaws or damage. Due to its complexity, this article condenses it into six things you need to know.
Understanding the MSD for FFS
By Greg Garic, Managing Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the September/October 2019 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. 34 Likes November/December 2005 Inspectioneering Journal A few years ago, TWI investigated a corrosion failure in a 30 inch crude oil pipeline that regrettably led to an explosion and fire, and the death of several operating personnel. The pipeline was designed to ASME B31.4 and the investigation found...
How to Assess for Creep Damage
By Greg Garic, Managing Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the July/August 2019 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. 34 Likes September/October 2017 Inspectioneering Journal Fired heaters are among the most critical equipment in refineries and chemical plants. This article provides an overview of what a fired heater tube mechanical integrity program should include.
Understanding Equipment Creep Damage
By Greg Garic, Managing Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the May/June 2019 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. 38 Likes January/February 2014 Inspectioneering Journal Fired furnaces in the petrochemical and refining industry are critical pieces of equipment that can have a major impact on process unit safety, reliability, and economics. They are complex pieces of equipment, where tubes and other pressure boundary...
Brittle Fracture and Material Toughness in Carbon and Low-Alloy Steels
By Greg Garic, Managing Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the March/April 2019 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. 22 Likes May/June 2020 Inspectioneering Journal There are many places where brittle fracture risk can sneak into your plant and many reasons why a new or revised brittle fracture assessment may be required when reviewing your pressure systems. Don’t overlook this dangerous failure mechanism.
Distinguishing Between Primary and Secondary Loads
By Greg Garic, Managing Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the January/February 2019 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. 23 Likes July/August 2020 Inspectioneering Journal Assessment procedures in API 579 are organized by damage mechanism. But what happens when different damage mechanisms are in play since the evaluation criteria may not be compatible?
Reliability and Integrity of Aging Pressure Vessels
By Greg Garic, Managing Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the November/December 2018 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. 33 Likes January/February 2019 Inspectioneering Journal Welding imperfections vary in impact from being acceptable to requiring repair. It is important to ensure the quality of welds using NDT and to ensure the strength of the entire piping system with hydrotesting.
Old Vessels versus New NDE
By Greg Garic, Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the May/June 2023 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. 3 Likes November/December 2018 Inspectioneering Journal In this edition of the FFS Forum, Greg addresses some issues associated with inspection of vessels that have been in service for a number of decades, and offers some tips for reliability and inspection to follow when inspecting these older vessels.
Point Assessment of Corrosion FFS Technique
By Greg Garic, Managing Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the September/October 2018 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. 31 Likes November/December 2018 Inspectioneering Journal In this edition of the FFS Forum, Greg addresses some issues associated with inspection of vessels that have been in service for a number of decades, and offers some tips for reliability and inspection to follow when inspecting these older vessels.
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