[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 46, Volume 2]
[Revised as of October 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 46CFR54.05-16]

[Page 151-152]
 
                           TITLE 46--SHIPPING
 
   CHAPTER I--COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED)
 
PART 54_PRESSURE VESSELS--Table of Contents
 
                      Subpart 54.05_Toughness Tests
 
Sec. 54.05-16  Production toughness testing.

    (a) For vessels of welded construction, production toughness test 
plates shall be prepared for each 50 feet of longitudinal and 
circumferential butt weld in each Class I-L vessel, or for each 150 feet 
in each Class II-L vessel, except for material other than stainless 
steel that is exempted from impact test requirements by this subchapter. 
In the case of stainless steels, weld production toughness tests may be 
limited to weld metal only if this is all that is required be Sec. 
54.25-15. The test-plate thickness shall be the same as that of the 
vessel wall at the location of the production weld being sampled. The 
test plates shall be prepared, wherever possible, as run-off tabs 
attached at the ends of weld butts or seams. The rolling direction of 
the run-off tabs should be oriented parallel to the rolling direction of 
the adjacent production material. The test-plate material shall be taken 
from one of the heats of material used in the vessel, and both the 
electrodes and welding procedures shall be the same as used in the 
fabrication of the vessel. From each test plate, one set of three Charpy 
impact bars or two drop-weight specimens, as applicable according to the 
test used in procedure qualification, shall be taken transverse to the 
weld axis. For Charpy V-notch specimens, the notch shall be normal to 
the material surface and its location alternated (approximately) on 
successive tests between the weld metal and heat affected zone. Thus, 
approximately half of all weld production impact tests will be of weld 
metal and half of heat affected zone material. For the weld metal tests, 
the V-notch is to be centered between the fusion lines. For the heat 
affected zone tests, the notch is to be centered so as to sample, as 
nearly as practicable, the most critical location for toughness observed 
in the weld procedure qualification tests. Where the drop weight 
specimen is used in production weld testing, it shall be prepared in the 
same manner as specified for procedure qualification testing, Sec. 
54.05-15(b).
    (b) For vessels not exceeding 5 cubic feet in volume, one set of 
impact specimens, or two drop-weight specimens, as applicable according 
to the test used in procedure qualification, may represent all vessels 
from the same heat of material not in excess of 100 vessels, or one 
heat-treatment furnace batch. In addition, when such vessels are welded, 
one weld test plate made from one of the heats of material used, and two 
sets of impact specimens or two drop-weight specimens, as applicable, 
cut therefrom, may represent the weld metal in the smallest of: One lot 
of 100 vessels or less; or each heat-treatment furnace batch; or each 50 
feet of welding for Class I-L vessels; or each 150 feet of welding for 
Class II-L vessels.
    (c) For several vessels or parts of vessels being welded in 
succession, the plate thickness of which does not vary by more than one-
fourth inch, and which are made of the same grade of material, a test 
plate shall be furnished for each 50 feet of welding for Class I-L 
vessels or 150 feet of welding for Class II-L vessels. For each 50- or 
150-foot increment of weld, as applicable, the test plates shall be 
prepared at the time of fabrication of the first vessel involving that 
increment.
    (d) The test plates and any other test material from which toughness 
test specimens are cut shall be given the same heat-treatment as the 
production material they represent. Test specimens representing other 
material than the weld toughness test plates shall preferably be cut 
from a part of the

[[Page 152]]

vessel material but may be cut from like material that has been heat-
treated within the temperature range specified by the producer in 
treating the actual vessel material.
    (e) For nonpressure vessel type tanks and associated secondary 
barriers, as defined in Sec. 38.05-4, subchapter D (Tank Vessels) of 
this chapter, production toughness test plates shall be prepared in 
accordance with paragraphs (a) and (d) of this section. One set of 
toughness test plates shall be prepared for each 165 feet (50 meters) of 
production butt type welds.