API RP 571-2003 Damage Mechanisms Affecting Fixed Equipment in the Refining Industry (End)

American Petroleum Institute (API). First Edition. December 2003. 114p. The ASME and API design codes and standards for pressurized equipment provide rules for the design, fabrication, inspection, and testing of new pressure vessels, piping systems, and storage tanks. These codes do not address equipment deterioration while in service and that deficiencies due to degradation or from original fabrication may be found during subsequent inspections. Fitness-For-Service (FFS) assessments are quantitative engineering evaluations that are performed to demonstrate the structural integrity of an in-service component containing a flaw or damage. The first step in a fitness-for-service assessment performed in accordance with API RP 579 is to identify the flaw type and the cause of damage. Proper identification of damage mechanisms for components containing flaws or other forms of deterioration is also the first step in performing a Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) in accordance with API RP 580.