ASME Section VIII is the section of the ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC) that covers pressure vessels. It gives detailed requirements for the design, fabrication, testing, inspection, and certification of both fired and unfired pressure vessels. It specifically refers to those pressure vessels that operate at pressures, either internal or external, that exceed 15 psig. The latest edition was published on July 1, 2015.

Section VIII contains three divisions, each of which cover different vessel specifications.

Division 1 largely contains appendixes, some mandatory and some non-mandatory, that detail supplementary design criteria, nondestructive examination techniques, and inspection acceptance standards for pressure vessels. It also contains rules that apply to the use of the single ASME certification mark with the U, UM, and UV designators.

Division 2 contains requirements for the materials, design, and nondestructive examination techniques for pressure vessels. Compared to Division 1, Division 2’s standards are far more rigorous, but allow for higher stress intensity values. The rules put forth in Division 2 can also apply to human occupancy pressure vessels, primarily in the diving industry. Like Division 1, Division 2 contains guidelines that apply to the use of the single ASME certification mark as it applies to the U2 and UV designators.

Division 3 provides rules that to pressure vessels that operate at pressures, either internal or external, exceeding 10,000 psi. Division 3 does not establish maximum pressure limits for either of the preceding Section VIII divisions, nor does it establish a minimum pressure limit for itself. Like the previous two divisions, it also provides rules that dictate the use of the single ASME certification mark with the U3 and UV3 designator.

 

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