| (a) Repairs and alterations shall conform to the current
edition of the National Board Inspection Code (NBIC) and shall be
acceptable to the inspector, except that repairs and alterations may
be performed by the following, provided the intended work is within
the scope of the issued certificate of authorization:
(1) holders of a certificate of authorization from
the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors for use
of the R repair symbol stamp; or
(2) owner/operators of boilers who have been issued
a certificate of authorization by the department.
(A) Issuance of the certificate of authorization will
be made upon submission of an application, on forms provided by the
department.
(B) Review of the applicant's program and facilities
initially and at subsequent three-year intervals will be done.
(i) The review will determine the applicant has a documented
program to control repairs and/or alterations conforming to minimum
requirements established by the department.
(ii) The review will require demonstration of the applicant's
ability to perform repairs and/or alterations by implementing on representative
work the requirements of the written program.
(iii) The guidelines of the NBIC for the quality control
system are a minimum, except that an Authorized Inspection Agency
is not required and the Repair and Alteration forms are issued by
the department. The National Board's forms shall not be used by these
certificate holders.
(b) Derating a boiler's MAWP and/or allowable temperature
(in accordance with the NBIC), shall be approved by the department
prior to commencement of the alteration. If the derating is approved,
the MAWP and/or allowable temperature shall not be increased without
prior approval from the department.
(c) Non-welded repairs.
(1) Replacement parts made of plate material used for
pressure retaining shall require material test reports (MTR). Traceability
to the MTR must be maintained at all times.
(2) Replacement parts fabricated by welding shall be
certified, stamped with the appropriate ASME Code symbol and inspected
by an authorized inspector as required by the ASME Code.
(3) When a non-welded repair involves the replacement
of cast or forged parts that are identified with the ASME Code symbol
at the time of casting or forging, these parts shall be replaced with
cast or forged parts that are identified with the ASME Code symbol
or so certified by the manufacturer to be in accordance with the original
code of construction.
(4) All other materials shall not require MTR's, provided
the material is identified with the material specification, grade,
lot and rating as required by the material or product specification
and the ASME Code.
(5) When used parts are utilized for non-welded repairs,
it is the repair organization's responsibility to ensure the parts
are identified as required above.
(6) Boiler tubes shall be replaced with tubes of the
allowed material and in accordance with the original code of construction.
(d) Lap seam cracks. The shell or drum of a boiler
in which a typical lap seam crack is discovered along a longitudinal
riveted lap-type joint shall be immediately and permanently discontinued
for use under pressure. A lap seam crack is the typical crack frequently
found in lap seams, which extends parallel to the longitudinal joint
and is located either between or adjacent to rivet holes.
(e) Plugging of boiler tubes (excluding tubes in headers
of economizers, evaporators, superheaters, or reheaters).
(1) Tube plugs shall be made of a material which is
compatible with the material of the boiler tube being plugged and
shall be welded into place, or manufactured to be expanded into the
tube sheet or drum.
(2) Plugging boiler tubes on Fire Tube Boilers fabricated
in accordance with ASME Section I or IV. Best practice is not to plug
a boiler tube in a Fire Tube Boiler. If a Fire Tube Boiler tube is
plugged, the following criteria shall apply.
(A) Plugging boiler tubes that are adjacent to another
plugged boiler tube is prohibited.
(B) No more than 10% of the total number of boiler
tubes shall be plugged.
(C) All non-expanded boiler tube plugs shall be welded
into place.
(D) All plugged boiler tubes shall be replaced prior
to the next required Certificate Inspection.
(3) Plugging boiler tubes on Water Tube Boilers, Unfired
Boilers, or Process Steam Generators.
(A) No more than 10% of the boiler generating tubes
may be plugged. Additional tubes may be plugged after approval is
obtained from the Original Equipment Manufacturer or an Engineer experienced
in boiler design. The scope of the approval is limited to the plugging
of the tubes and shall consider the operational effect on the water
side pressure boundary or membrane and the effect on the combustion
process throughout the boiler.
(B) No Water Wall tubes may be plugged, where the tube
forms a separation wall between products of combustion and the outside
atmosphere or a separation of the gas passes in a multiple (gas) pass
boiler.
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| Source Note: The provisions of this §65.612 adopted to be effective June 15, 2015, 40 TexReg 3121; amended to be effective February 15, 2016, 41 TexReg 795; amended to be effective February 15, 2019, 44 TexReg 583 |
