6 Things You Need to Know About API 579

By Greg Garic, P.E., Senior Staff Consultant at Stress Engineering Services, Inc. This article appears in the July/August 2018 issue of Inspectioneering Journal.

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API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 - Fitness-For-Service (FFS)

API 579-1/ASME FFS-1, Fitness-For-Service, is a standard developed and published jointly by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and
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Introduction

API 579-1 / ASME FFS-1, Fitness-For-Service, (2016), is an American National Standard developed and published by the American Petroleum Institute (API) that describes several fitness-for-service (FFS) assessment techniques for pressurized equipment used in the oil & gas, petrochemical, and chemical industries. It discusses procedures for performing proper fitness-for-service evaluations and ensuring the safe and reliable operation of older plants and existing facilities. This standard contains numerous sections on assessment procedures for calculating the impact of damage mechanisms such as brittle fracture and general or local metal loss.

API 579 is a complex document covering several different types of equipment that may contain flaws or damage. When performed correctly, the assessments laid out in this standard can provide information on the current state of damage, as well as offer an estimate for the projected remaining life. Below are 6 things you need to know about API 579.

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About the Authors

Greg Garic, P.E., Senior Staff Consultant at Stress Engineering Services, Inc.

Greg Garic has over 40 years of experience in pressure systems engineering, particularly in the fitness-for-service assessment of fixed equipment in chemical plants and refineries. He is highly experienced in stress analysis, fracture mechanics, finite element analysis, creep, and high-temperature material behavior. Mr. Garic's practice routinely involves evaluating and... Read more »

Comments and Discussion

Posted by Rob Salvatore on August 30, 2018

There's a 7th thing to know - related to material... Log in or register to read the rest of this comment.

Posted by Abdelhak Kermad on September 5, 2018

Regarding field metallography, another thing to... Log in or register to read the rest of this comment.

Posted by Greg Garic on September 5, 2018

Yes, API 579 is silent on U-notch and Keyhole... Log in or register to read the rest of this comment.

Posted by ADILMAR CARDOZO on June 30, 2021

It would be fine an article about LTA +... Log in or register to read the rest of this comment.

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